FSSAI
Favorable Demographics and Rising Income Spurring Growth in the Indian Dairy Industry
Global market intelligence firm, Netscribes has launched its latest report on the “Dairy Market in India 2013.” The report elaborates the competitive market scenario of the Indian dairy market and its growth prospects in the ensuing years. The report states that the Indian dairy market is experiencing rising demand due to various driving factors, which in turn is providing huge opportunities for manufacturers to grow and operate in the market lucratively.
The Indian food and beverage industry is huge and highly competitive in nature. The industry comprises of several sub-sectors such as fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, marine products, grains and consumer foods. The dairy industry plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the nation by generating huge rural employment as well as cheap and nutritional food to the vast population. Though the dairy market in India is dominated by the unorganized sector, the organized sector has also shown remarkable growth in the last few years.
The report provides a snapshot of the Indian milk products industry which has witnessed several changes after the “Operation Flood” era. The dairy sector witnessed spectacular growth during 1971 and 1996 primarily due to integrated cooperative dairy development programmes conducted by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Moreover, after liberalization and de-licensing in 1991, private sector also started entering the market, which further accelerated its growth. Major players of the Indian dairy market include Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), Mother Dairy, Nestle India, Britannia Industries, Hatsun Agro and Heritage Foods, among others. In addition to this, a number of regional players have also entered the market in recent years, thereby making the market more competitive in nature.
Punjab govt constitutes Punjab FDA by unifying food & drug departments
In a major step towards bringing the food and drug departments under a common regulatory body on the lines of Gujarat and Maharashtra, the Punjab government recently constituted the Punjab food and drug administration (FDA) by bringing both the Punjab state drug controlling authority and food authority under one roof.
With a view to streamline the work of this unified regulatory body in accordance with the respective laws, the state government last week appointed Husan Lal who earlier served as the secretary, social security, and managing director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation, as the first commissioner of the state FDA. With this strategic re-organisation, Punjab state joins the group of select few states in the country like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir to streamline and unify the two important departments under the same umbrella.
Earlier, a high level delegation headed by Rupanjali Karthik, additional secretary, department of health and family welfare, government of Punjab had visited Gujarat FDCA in October last year to understand and gauge the effective ways of running the administration, prior to undergoing this change. Ajay Singla, state drug controller of the Punjab drug department, who was also a part of this delegation informed that this move signals the changing regulatory dynamics in the state, which will further help in strengthening the regulatory and administrative apparatus to meet new challenges.
With this reshuffling in the regulatory set up, the Punjab FDA will now be the central authority in the state overlooking the smooth functioning and monitoring of the various rules and regulations pertaining to the concerned Acts. “By unifying the two important departments under the same authority we will be able to implement the rules and regulations under the D&C Act and FSSAI Act more effectively throughout the state. Especially since the regulatory requirements and mechanisation for the implementation of both the Acts are almost in the same lines, helping us to effectively scrape the bottlenecks and other complications arising out of dual regulatory body,” Singla added.
According to Dr H G Koshia, commissioner, Gujarat Food & Drugs Control Administration, as a regulator it is more effective to regulate and monitor the food and the drugs departments under a common regulatory body. Further he pointed out that ever since the successful establishment of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, more states across the country are strongly considering to unify their food and drug departments under the same body for better administrative purpose.
It is reported that the state of Karnataka is seriously looking into the possibility of unifying the two important departments under the state health ministry under a uniform authority on the lines of Gujarat FDCA.
CAMPCO wants CFTRI to certify quality of imported arecanut
If the suggestion of a city-based cooperative finds takers, Mysore-based Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) could become the centre for testing the quality of imported arecanut.
This could prevent imports of substandard arecanut into the country.
Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (CAMPCO) has urged Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, to appoint the CFTRI as an authority to test the quality of imported arecanut.
At present there is no government-authorised arecanut testing facility in the country.
Konkodi Padmanabha, president of the cooperative, has written to the Minister urging him to instruct the CFTRI to set standard specifications of the characteristics of imported arecanut.
“…We understand that till date there is no standard specification made available by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for arecanut…,” Mr. Padmanabha said in the letter dated June 3. As a result authorities at ports and those in the Public Health departments were not in a position to judge the quality of imported arecanut effectively.
The letter pointed out that an Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) analysis here found four samples of imported arecanut unfit for human consumption due to fungal growth. The samples were sent by the Customs Department, Araria, Bihar, and the Revenue Intelligence Department, Muzaffarpur. But a court ruled that the ARDF was not a legally authorised agency to certify the quality of imported arecanut and the consignments were released later.
A testing centre was all the more important as 85 per cent (53,263 tonnes) of the arecanut imports in 2012-13 were from Bangladesh alone, as revealed by Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP.
M. Suresh Bhandary, managing director of CAMPCO, told The Hindu that food products had standard specifications regarding fat content, acid insoluble ash, PH level, total plate count, etc. In the absence of such specifications for arecanut, one cannot be sure of the quality of imported varieties, Mr. Bhandary said.
FSSAI proposes amendment to FSS Act; licensing clarified
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Draft Regulations to amend the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
In the said Draft Regulations, certain food additives have been proposed to be used in certain food products / ingredients in the quantity specified for those food products / ingredients.
The food additives proposed in the Draft Regulations to be used in certain food products are as under:
Polydextrose @ GMP in “Carbonated and Non-Carbonated Beverages”
Methyl Cellulose
max. 3% in “Salad Dressing / Mayonnaise”;
max. 2% in “Biscuits”;
max. 2% in “Preserved Chapatis”;
max. 3% in “Cakes”
Carboxymethyl Cellulose
@ GMP in “Dressing and Sauces”;
@ GMP in “Chocolates”;
@ GMP in “Sauces”
Potassium Iodate – max. 50 mg / kg in “Bread”
Gellan gum @ GMP in “Sterilised and UHT dairy-based drinks.”
These additives were not in use for the said products earlier. But now the food authority has included these additives and invited objections or suggestions from the food and beverage industry on the use of these additives.
D V Malhan, executive secretary, All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), told FnB News that the industry was looking into the draft amendment as it was recently made public. He added that these additives were there in the market but not allowed to be used for the said products.
“The authority must have done some study and documentation on the issue of these additives and we’d asked our members to comment on the issue. After getting comments we’ll discuss it and present suggestions before FSSAI,” he stated.
Health department to crack down on gutka sale
HUBLI: The district administration will crack down on gutka manufacturers, dealers and sellers. Companies found manufacturing gutka will be penalized up to Rs 10 lakh while shops selling the product will have to forgo their licence and face legal consequences.
The administration has formed special teams consisting of health safety officers and health department officers to curb the sale of gutka in the district after the state has banned its sale. Special teams have been conducting raids and seizing gutka since a week. But now the teams will act tough penalizing violators.
The ban was a crucial step forward, but the challenge lay in its implementation. According to sources, after banning gutka products on June 1, initially, the government had not issued guidelines on how to implement the ban. But the district administration has received a clear set of guidelines on June 7 from the state government on how to deal with people who defy the ban. Based on this, the district administration chalked out a stringent action plan to act tough against gutka sellers and manufacturers, said sources.
2500 People in India Die Daily due to Tobacco Epidemic
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. Mass media campaigns, graphic warnings and alternative crop options for tobacco growers can help stop or reduce the estimated 800,000-900,000 tobacco-attributable deaths per year in India, experts say.
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) – India 2010, tobacco use is a major preventable cause of death and disease and is responsible 1 in 10 death among adults worldwide. Approximately 5.5 million people die around the world every year – with India accounting for nearly a fifth of this.
Shekhar Salkar, general secretary of National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE)-India said: “Everyday, almost 2,500 people die in India due to consumption of tobacco and smoking. Many people even suffer from asthma and bronchitis, other than cancer and heart attacks.”
According to WHO findings, hard-hitting anti-tobacco advertisements and graphic pack warnings, especially those that include pictures, have reduced the number of children who begin smoking and increased the number of smokers who quit in many countries.
In India, the average age of starting tobacco use is before 15 years, according to the GATS – India 2010 report.
Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director at Voluntary Health Association of India, said “glamorisation of smoking” impacts young people, but counter messages during smoking scenes in films help in discouraging people.
It is believed that if celebrities are shown smoking, it influences impressionable minds. To counter that, a new law mandating a disclaimer about the evils of tobacco use has to be flashed while showing smoking scenes in films or on television.
To make disclaimers more efffecitve, Salkar felt they need to be more creative and innovative.
“A brief interview of those who were addicted to tobacco or cigarettes should be shown instead of the same old images,” Salkar told IANS.
For instance, filmmakers can attach clippings of celebrities talking about the harmful effects of tobacco with their films, he added.
Different people have different reasons to smoke. There is a segment of young smokers who resort to cigarettes to de-stress themselves. For such smokers, medical aid is the best option.
“Some students like to smoke so that they can study all night, some do it due to failed relationships or bad results. Smoking is not the answer. They need to take medical help or exercise, do yoga and relax the mind,” Salkar said.
Food habits can also help to a certain extent in preventing smoking.
Annapurna Agrawal, nutritionist at Snap Fitness India, put it interestingly, saying the solution is “sitting in the refrigerator”. Drink milk or eat carrots before smoking, she advised.
Explaining why, she said: “When these are taken before smoking, a bitter taste develops, which can discourage people from smoking.”
Also, if fruits rich in Vitamin C like lemons, oranges and amla are consumed in large quantity, it reduces the urge to smoke, Agrawal added.
The other way to do it is by eating salty items like pickles and chips.
Mukhopadhyay felt that more than anything, it is about “self-determination” and “family support”.
Various kind of anti-tobacco campaigns, methods and schemes are underway, but Salkar thought the government needed to take better steps.
“The government needs to convince farmers to not grow tobacco. They should be given incentives for growing other crops. This should be done gradually otherwise there will be a rise in farmer suicides,” he said.
It seems that every government body is doing its bit.
Health & Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that while the livelihoods of tobacco growers cannot be endangered, there is need to work toward moving farmers and farm workers out of the tobacco industry.
“We cannot indefinitely tolerate a public health hazard in the name of protecting livelihoods,” the minister said after releasing GATS – India 2010.
Later the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex body to ensure food quality in the country, under its Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 restricted the use of products that contain any substance that may be injurious to health.
Its immediate effect was when Madhya Pradesh banned gutka and pan masala. Kerala, Mizoram, Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Delhi soon followed and most recent to join the list is Tamil Nadu.
Another area that needs to be focused on is establishing more and more economical rehabilitation centers to help addicts. Right now, the rehab centres and medications are few and far between and expensive.
FSSAI releases document differentiating between cassia & true cinnamon
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) – the country’s apex food regulator – recently released a document on cassia (known locally as taj) and cinnamon (locally known as dalchini). Among its contents were a brief description of coumarins and the differences between cassia and true cinnamon.
Introduction
Cassia is botanically known as Cinnamomum cassia blume; Cinnamomum burmannii; occidentalis; cassia tora; cassia obtusifolia; Cinnamomum cassia; Cinnamomum Cassia (nees) ex blume; Cinnamomum aromaticum (nees) syn; Cinnamomum burmannii (C G nees) blume and Cinnamumum loureini nees.
Cassia – which is incorrectly referred to as Ceylon cinnamon – is a member of the same family to which cinnamon (which is also known as Chinese cinnamon, Java cinnamon, Padang cassia and Saigon cinnamon) belongs. However, what cassia and cinnamon do not have in common is their coumarin content.
Although cinnamon and cassia are related, they are not obtained from the same plant. They should be treated as separate foods, both from a nutritional and a health standpoint. Scientifically, there is only one true cinnamon, which is most commonly called Ceylon cinnamon and comes from the plant Cinnamomum zeylancium.
“In fact, cassia is often misnamed and mistaken for cinnamon, and is even marketed to the consumers through retail outlets as cinnamon. Since the price of the former is far lower than that of the former, traders have the tendency to mislabel cassia as cinnamon deliberately and encash the opportunity for their gain. Cassia is often used to adulterate cinnamon,” the FSSAI document pointed out.
Coumarins
Coumarins are naturally-occurring plant components present in cassia. They are chemical compounds from the benzopyrene family. While the level of naturally-occurring coumarins in Ceylon cinnamon appears to be very small and lower than the amount that could cause health risks, the level of naturally-occurring coumarins in cassia is higher and may pose a risk if consumed in large quantities regularly.
The chemical compositions of Ceylon cinnamon and cassia are different. In contrast to cassia, Ceylon cinnamon contains eugenol and benzyl-benzoate, but no (or at the most trace amounts of) coumarin. The level of coumarin in the bark of cassia varies considerably. They depend considerably on the respective sub-species or on the climatic conditions.
Railways to launch SMS-based service for hygiene complaints
An On-site Passenger Complaint Redressal System (OPCRS) is being developed as envisaged in the Rail Budget 2013-14.
Railways have decided to launch an SMS-based service for immediate response to passenger complaints regarding housekeeping service in coaches.
The service will be launched on a few select trains to facilitate passengers to contact onboard staff through SMS or phone call for complaints related to cleanliness in coaches, toilets and other problems faced during journey.
An On-site Passenger Complaint Redressal System (OPCRS) is being developed as envisaged in the Rail Budget 2013-14, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
The service is likely to be launched in either Mumbai Rajdhani or Bangalore Rajdhani as a pilot project soon.
As per the system, a passenger can send SMS for any issue related to coach housekeeping like dirty toilets, compartment or absence of liquid soap.
“Passengers will SMS his PNR on a common number like one being used for PNR inquiry,” the official said.
Railways have asked for a three-digit number from the Department of Telecommunication for the purpose.
Once the SMS is sent, the information will be registered on OPCRS connected with GSM network, and it will be immediately routed to a GSM hand held unit (mobile phone) available with housekeeping supervisor on train.
Simultaneously, an acknowledgement would be sent on the mobile phone of the complainant with a complaint ID with instruction to disclose the ID to the housekeeping supervisor after he attends to the problem to his satisfaction.
Housekeeping supervisor on receipt of passenger information would locate him, get briefing of his requirements and attend to the problem besides giving him feedback.
“India is taking lead in standards”
With growing consumer awareness and involvement of developing nations in food safety dialogue, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the apex body for food standards in the world, is recasting itself to accommodate diverse views and propose a new strategic plan for 2014-2019.
In an interview with F&B news, Codex Alimentarius Commission’s chairman Sanjay Dave spoke about issues such as its recasting for the plan and harmonisation of Indian food safety standards with the science-based food standards laid down by the Commission. Excerpts:
What are the priority areas for Codex?
This is Codex’s 50th year, and we are mainly focussing on the finalisation of the New Codex Strategic Plan for 2014-2019 and the best way to achieve consensus-building amongst participating nations.
Currently, 185 nations and the European Union (EU) are part of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. So we would emphasise more on deliberations to arrive at consensus, so that the decisions would be applied universally and evenly.
What comprises the Codex Strategic Plan?
Basically, we want to further strengthen our procedure to formulate the standards, codes of practice, etc. by using more science-based models. Also the focus is on to make such standards, which fulfil needs of all the countries, ensure safety of the health of people and promote fair practices in food trade amongst the partner countries.
The plan also deliberates upon how the developing countries could be involved in capacity-building and also we would like to envisage an efficient delivery system that would help in harmonisation of standards amongst the member nations.
How much progress is made on the strategic plan?
We are deliberating on the next six-year strategic plan scheduled for 2014-19 for last two years. This year a series of meetings have taken place in different regional meetings. As you know there are six regions for Codex purposes. These are Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and the South-West Pacific, Europe, the Near-East and Africa.
Workshop on How to face a FSSAI / FDA Audit
As we all know that the implementation of FSSA is catching its pace among all the food businesses. FSSA has raised a number of Non Compliance’s against food businesses that have gathered public attention. Food Business Operators are now recognizing the gravity of the situation that stares them in the face.
Equinox Labs has conceptualized a First of Its Kind Program in which a Workshop would be followed by an Onsite Mock Audit @ your Premises. This 2 days Program consists of a 1 day Workshop on How to face a FSSAI / FDA Audit followed by a Customized Onsite Mock Audit.
The training is customized for all FBO’s wherein the first part will help you understand the requirements of the law & the second part will guide you to be adept to handle an audit at your premise. Post the training, a mock audit of your premise, which is in lines with the requirements of FSSA, will be conducted, & non-conformities will be raised.
Key Takeaways of our 2 day Program:
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Who should attend this Workshop?
- Hotels,
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Note: To make this Interactive Workshop more effective, we are restricting the No. of Participants. The bookings will be done on a First-Come-First-Serve Basis.
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“Challenges facing FSSAI include licensing, registration”
The FSSAI has come under the scanner in recent times with regard to the implementation of food safety law in India and other pertinent issues. Keshav Desiraju, secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India, in a conversation with F&B news gives details. Excerpts:
The CEO and other top officials of FSSAI are either stepping down or seeking transfers. Some key posts are still vacant. Could you throw light on this?
As you are aware, the FSSAI has been set up fairly recently and is an autonomous regulatory body under the health and family welfare ministry as per the guidelines laid down in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The chief executive officer is appointed by the government and other officers working in FSSAI are on deputation. The authority floated a vacancy notice in leading newspapers recently to fill the posts that became vacant because of the transfers or deputations on foreign service term or short-term contract basis.
Adequate steps are being taken to ensure that the authority is manned by well-qualified and experienced officers.
What steps is the ministry taking to implement food safety laws in India? What are the areas of focus and major concern with respect to food safety?
The passing of the FSSA, 2006 – which led to the creation of the FSSAI – led to the shift from multi-level to a single line of control with the focus on self-compliance rather than on the regulatory regime as far as food safety is concerned.
It also introduced uniform licensing and registration regime across the Centre and the states. One of the major roles of FSSAI is the setting up of science-based food standards by harmonising with the Codex standards, wherever possible.
Traders, restaurant owners and distributors exempt from annual returns
Traders, restaurant owners and distributors have been excluded from filing annual returns by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s apex food regulator. Their exclusion is a reprieve, because earlier, all licensed food business operators (FBOs) with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above were directed to submit their annual returns in the prescribed format (Form D-1) by May 31. Failure to do so would result in a fine of Rs 100 per day being slapped on them.
Ajit Setiya, president, Poona Merchants’ Chamber, said, “Since the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, came into effect in August 2011, traders have been facing a host of problems. Apart from filing annual returns, they have had to provide information about each of the goods they deal in, the weight of each good, and its purchase and sales values. Only the owners of milk businesses have been asked to submit half-yearly returns in the format prescribed in Form D-2.”
Nagpur scientist selected on national panel for food standards development
NAGPUR: Sugandha Garway, the director of ANACON Laboratories Pvt Ltd from city has been selected as one of the members of the national panel of food standards harmonisation/development process.
“We are expected to frame food safety standards and submit it to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) by July 31 this year. I have been working in the field of food standards for long. But being on national panel is a matter of real pride,” she said speaking to TOI.
FSSAI was established under Section 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 with the mandate of laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
While developing these standards, it is proposed to cover products where we have domestic standards under Food Safety Standards Rules (FSSR) but these need a revision/harmonization with those of the ‘codex’ and other international best practices.
The Act aims to make food safety a national movement. To meet this target, FSSAI is using an inclusive approach by utilising the wisdom of all stakeholders in the country, ensuring all relevant issues are discussed through a transparent consultative process and conflicting opinions reconciled on the basis of scientific evidence.
Introducing “Business Associate Program”
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- Business Associate Program
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309 packaged water units on strike
Chennai: Over 309 ISI certified packaged drinking water units belonging to TN Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association (TNDWMA) have stopped production since Wednesday, protesting the closure of 103 units in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur by TNPCB (TN Pollution Control Board) for not obtaining pollution control license.
Chennaiites rely solely on packaged drinking water owing to uncertainty over supply from the fast depleting city reservoirs, which only store 2.6tmcft, against total joint storage of 11.057tmcft.
TNDWMA on Thursday petitioned the CM to drop the charges against the 103 units and relax the rule making it mandatory to avail TNPCB license.
“There is no need to get TNPCB nod,” argued TNDWMA patron V. Murali. Claiming that all units have BIS and FSSA (food safety and standard authority of India) quality certification and over 50 tests were conducted before supplying people, Murali said if the water did not conform to central standards, BIS closes the unit.
As per TNPCB norm, every 10,000 litre capacity plant should have one hectare of land to discharge residual water. “Over 90 per cent units are small scale industries that produced over 2000 cans. How could they afford so much land in Chennai?” Murali wondered threatening not to restart production.
As sweetener, stevia could be ideal for India’s agro-economy
Stevia, which has earned the in-principle nod of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) – the country’s apex food regulator – could be the best bet for the nation’s agro-economy in future, owing to its medicinal and sweetening properties, according to Bala Prassad, chief executive officer, National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), and joint secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Deliberating on the sweetener at the Fourth Stevia Global Summit India, which took place at New Delhi’s PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday, Prassad said NMPB has decided to boost stevia cultivation in India. He added, “Under the current provisions, 20 per cent of the cost of production, which is set at Rs 3,12,500 per hectare, is subsidised by the board. But the minimum requirement would be five farmers and two hectare of land.”
But there continued to be questions about the species of stevia that must be incorporated, because the plant has approximately 400 varieties. Dr Silvamurthy, former food scientist, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said, “Stevia has several medicinal properties, which could be helpful in preventing several lifestyle diseases like obesity. Moreover, farmers could avail carbon credits by growing stevia.”
FSSAI’s P Chakravarthy informed that the Indian regulator took the decision to approve stevia as an artificial sweetening additive followed approvals by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the European Union (EU). He added, “FSSAI’s scientific panel has already approved it, and a gazette notification has been issued in this regard after a detailed study.”
He said, “However, stevia (currently usable as steviol glycoside) can only be used in the form of tablets with a prescribed formulation,” adding that discussions are currently underway to get it approved for all forms of oral use, including liquid dosages and powder. Separate nods are needed to be able to use the product as a food ingredient and as medicine.
Sourabh Agrawal, chief executive officer, India Stevia Association, New Delhi, and chairman and managing director, Stevia Biotech; S S Aggarwal, director general, Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida; Amarender Singh Bawa, former director, DRDO food laboratory, Mysore, and Ashok Chauhan, founder president, Amity Group of Institutions, were also present at the summit.
Indian govt to set standards for wine industry
By the next fiscal, importers will find it difficult to dump poor quality wine in Indian market, as the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India is planning to create standards for wine industry based on global best practices, according to a Business Line report.
The standards will help the Indian wine industry create ‘Indian brands’ and reach new markets in Europe, Asia and North America.
Standards will codify grape varieties, alcohol content, fermentation processes, hygiene standards and viticulture practices for the wineries.
The wine standards would be notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), while the actual groundwork would be done by MoFPI, Indian Grape Processing Board and National Research Centre for Grapes.
U Venkateswarlu, Joint Secretary, MoFPI told Business Line that Indian wineries find it difficult to sell their products in overseas market because they have not been able to produce wines to the global standards.
On the other hand, importers unload poor quality in Indian market because the Government has not set any quality parameters for these wines. The new standards will address this incongruity in the market, he said.
Quality Standard for Indian Traditional Sweets
The Sweets and Snacks Products (Traditional Sweets) for which the standards have not been prescribed fall under the category of “Proprietary Food”. These products should comply with the regulatory provisions like FSS (Contaminants, Toxins & Residues) Regulation, 2011 and Table 2 of Appendix A and Appendix B of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. Codex has prescribed some standards for Sweets and Snacks under Table 2 of General Standards for Food Additive (GSFA).
Sweets and Snack Products are required to comply with the above mentioned Regulations. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated the process of revision/harmonization of standards for food products with those of Codex and other international best practices and to develop new standards in respect of those food products where there is a need to develop standards taking into account the Codex and other international best practices.
Export promotion of Indian traditional sweets and snack products is looked after by Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, under the Ministry of Commerce. The products have to comply with the standards of the importing countries.
This information was given by Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Shri Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
FSSAI’S Norms for Cleanliness at Food Outlets
Schedule 4 of the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011 prescribes the general hygienic and sanitary requirements to be followed by Food Business Operators.
All Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the Country should get a Central/ State licensing depending upon installed capacity and Registration in case of petty food businesses.
The FBO shall comply with safety, sanitary and hygienic requirements provided in the schedule and contained under different parts depending on nature of business.
The implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act/ Rule/Regulation rests with State Government/ Union Territories. The food safety inspection of these license/ registration establishments is required to be carried out at least once in a year.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Shri Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
