FOOD PRO

News Letter of All India Food Processors Association

(Established in 1943)

March, 2012
Dear Member,

Licence under the FSS Act-2006

We wish to draw the attention of all food business operators who have been operating under licence from PFA, FPO, MMPO etc. (which have all been repealed w.e.f. 5th August 2011) are required to renew their licence or obtain a new licence from the FSSAI before 5th August 2012. The Food Business Operators (FBO) may come either under the Central Licensing Authority or the State Licensing Authority. Details of the procedure for obtaining the Licence may be seen on the website of FSSAI i.e. www.fssai.gov.in. Under the new FSS Act-2006, the definition of food business means any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, import and includes food services, catering services, sale of food or food ingredients. Food Business Operators have to fulfill all the requirements prescribed for obtaining the renewal of licence or a new licence. It may be noted that those Food Businesses/Food Business Operators falling under the category of Petty Food-Business-Operator having a turnover of less than Rs. 12 lakhs per annum is required to register his Food Business with the State FSSAI. As there will be a flood of applications for renewal/new licence, FBOs will have to take immediate necessary action to obtain the licence. (K.L. Radhakrishnan) Chief Editor

AIFPA activities during the month of February 2012

08/02/2012 The meeting convened by Ministry of Food Processing Industries regarding the 44th Session of Codex Committee on Food Additives to be held in China from 12th to 16th March 2012 was attended by Sh. R.K. Bansal, Member, AIFPA on behalf of the Association Sh. D.V. Malhan, Executive Secretary participated in the tender finalization of APEDA for vendor selection for the design, construction of APEDA-MoFPI pavilion during AAhar-2012 from being held on 12th to 16th March 2012 at New Delhi. Sh. Gokul Patnaik, Chairman, Global Agribusiness, New Delhi organized a Pro Food meeting to know about the latest developments regarding implementation of GST in the country. Sh. Satya Poddar from Ernst & Young gave a brief about the present status of GST. The representatives from Coca Cola, Cabbury Kraft Foods, ITC & Dabur and the Executive Secretary, Sh. D.V. Malhan participated in the deliberations. BIS meeting on FAD 10 (Fruits & Vegetables) was attended by Sh. R.K. Bansal, Member, AIFPA on behalf of the Association AIFPA organized an Awareness programme about the Food Safety and Standards Regulations-2011 especially with respect to Licensing, Labelling and import of processed foods at Dabur India Ltd., Ghaziabad. More than 50 technical and legal persons of the company participated in the programme. Presentations on various aspects of the Regulations were made by Sh. R.K. Bansal, Retd. Director, FPO and Member, AIFPA, Dr. K.L. Gaba, Chairman, T&FRAC, AIFPA, Sh. U.K. Saxena, Food Consultant and Sh. D.V. Malhan, Executive Secretary, AIFPA. The deliberations were well appreciated by delegates and the management of Dabur.

16/02/2012

17/02/2012

22/02/2012 27/02/2012

Regulatory & Food Safety Issues

FSSAI makes it convenient for food importers; payment system goes online
The long-awaited online payment gateway system for food importers introduced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for convenient processing of payment finally came into effect from February 15, 2012. A copy of this information has been sent to the Central Board of Excise and Customs, Department of revenue, Ministry of Finance, and National Institute of Smart Governance (NISG), the FSSAI has revealed on its website recently. Mr. Shailesh B Nimbalkar, representative of FSSAI in Mumbai, stated, The online payment gateway system had been operationalised on Dec 28, 2011, and the payment towards lab analysis by the food importers would be effective from this month. He explained the process of registration, thus; the importers should fill a form and attach all the necessary documents required for the food sample processing. Following which, a consent letter would be sent to them after review of the documents by the FSSAI through the officers' online account. After which, the importers would be eligible for applying. A user name and a password would then be provided to them, Nimbalkar informed. He added that the importers could pay through online henceforth and check their status 24/7, once they submit the details of the samples. would like to compromise on his health.

FDA says no to more Carbendazim

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Feb. 16 declined a request from the Brazilian Citrus Exporters Association to temporarily allow a higher tolerance of the banned fungicide carbendazim in juice imports. Orange juice producers in Brazil lobbied FDA to set June 2013 as the deadline to remove carbendazim from its juice after the agency began inspecting orange juice imports in January 2012. FDA is currently testing samples of orange juice shipments from all countries and manufacturers that offer such shipments for import into the U.S. FDA has detained and refused shipments of imported orange juice concentrate, orange juice from concentrate, and not from concentrate (NFC) orange juice with quantifiable (greater than or equal to 10 ppb) residues of carbendazim. The Brazilian Citrus Exporters Association asked FDA, when assessing orange juice shipments offered for import, now through June 2013, to determine whether the sampled product contains quantifiable residues of carbendazim on a single strength basis. The request is based upon the fact that the orange juice concentrate will be diluted to single strength prior to consumption, as well as the findings of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) risk assessment for the safety of orange juice containing residues of carbendazim. FDA declined the request and stated it will continue to test orange juice concentrate, orange juice from concentrate, and NFC orange juice shipments offered for import. To the extent FDA finds quantifiable residues of carbendazim, such shipments are subject to FDA detention and refusal. FDA's handling of orange juice shipments has been no different from FDA's handling of any food products found to contain unlawful pesticide chemical residues. The detentions, refusals and additions to Import Alert 99-08 currently taking place are all routine actions and have been part of FDA's process for decades. Carbendazim in orange juice is an unlawful pesticide chemical residue under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It is approved for use in a variety of crops, including citrus, in many countries. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not approved carbendazim for use as a fungicide on oranges, nor has it established a tolerance or an exemption from the need for a tolerance for carbendazim in orange juice in the United States. Based upon the risk assessment of carbendazim by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FDA has repeatedly stated that orange juice being sold in the United States is safe. The EPA risk assessment has determined that carbendazim levels up to 80 parts per billion (ppb) pose no threat to human health.

Health ministry pulls up food, pharma companies for tall claims in advertisements
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex food regulatory body under the Health ministry has stated that the body has had enough of companies who violated the prescribed advertising codes and has begun initiating action against the violators. A number of reputed food product manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies are making tall claims about their products in their advertisements. This is tantamount to taking consumers for a ride, and will not be tolerated anymore, Dr Jitendra P Dongare, FSSAI's marketing officer, said. He added that these were the findings of a survey conducted by the FSSAI. The promoters of the products found contravening the advertising codes have been issued showcase notices to justify their claims, he said. If they fail to back their claims with scientific proof within the two-week notice period given to them, stringent action will be taken against them. This will also send a strong message to others, Dongare warned. The FSSAI has advised people not to take any advertisement on its face value and to check the label on every product they intend to purchase. After all, nobody

Plasma treatment kills pathogens in Raw Poultry

Zapping raw poultry with a dose of plasma effectively kills pathogens, including Salmonella and Campylobacter, according to a new study published in the Journal of Food Protection. Researchers at Drexel University treated raw chicken samples contaminated with Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni bacteria with plasma for varying periods of time. Plasma treatment eliminated or nearly eliminated bacteria in low levels from skinless chicken breast and chicken skin, and significantly reduced the level of bacteria when contamination levels were high. The researchers used plasma to treat samples of bacteria grown on agar, and demonstrated that antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria were as susceptible to plasma as the wild-type strains. Plasma, a high-energy, charged mixture of gaseous atoms, ions and electrons, has a wide range of potential applications, including energy production and control, biomedical treatments and environmental remediation. The value of using plasma is that it is non-thermal, so there is no heat to cook or alter the way the food looks. The researchers described the plasma treatment of poultry in this study as proof of concept." Current plasma technology is expensive relative to the narrow cost margins involved in food production, and the technology is not currently being developed for processing poultry on a large scale. If plasma technology becomes cost-effective for use in treating poultry, it may be used in conjunction with existing methods to reduce pathogens, the researchers said, and it may also help prolong the shelf life of raw chicken if it can be honed to remove more microorganisms responsible for spoilage. Until these technologies are more fully developed, consumers should assume that raw poultry has pathogens on it and take care to prevent infection," they said. That means cooking thoroughly and making sure not to cross contaminate when handling uncooked meat and poultry.

Jackson adds, "In the absence of regulations for levels of arsenic in food, I would certainly advise parents who are concerned about their children's exposure to arsenic not to feed them formula foods where brown rice syrup is the main ingredient.

Licensing/registration at FDA, Mumbai speeds up as staff works round the clock

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has set March 31 as the target deadline for undertaking new licensing/registrations and converting from the old Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) to the new Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA). This has set the ball rolling at the FDA headquarters in Mumbai. We are trying our best to expedite work. However, if we just assign ourselves to this work one whole day, the number of licences we will be able to issue is 100 per day. We have around 35,000 applications pending and the deadline is nearing, but the officers are working round-theclock completing the work, an officer at the Administration said. Earlier, these licences were issued by the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation). During that time, the task was divided among 25 offices that covered around 227 wards in Mumbai and were backed by sufficient manpower to complete the task. Now, it's just one designated officer who has been appointed as the licensing authority for the entire city. The DO (designated officer) has one clerk to help him out but again he is currently assigned on the election duty, said the officer. Also, currently the licences are being issued manually in spite of the software being launched for the purpose. In fact, the online system of applying for licences has also not found many takers. From the time of its launch on Jan 12, online has not registered more than five licences. Most of the traders being electronically-challenged, the software has not lured applicants, said the officer.\ Meanwhile, the inspection work has taken a backseat with the ongoing gigantic task of issuing licences. The mandatory clause of inspection of the food business operations before issuance of licences is also being overlooked due to manpower shortage. There are other concerns with inspection and sample testing. One, the food inspector (now the food safety officer) has to pay from his pocket to the food business operator for the samples he picks up to test. He gets it reimbursed only after months of chasing the clerk at the FDA. Unlike the drugs wing, FDA does not pay the food business operators directly for the samples they pick up for testing. In such a scenario, the trader may offer free samples to the officer for testing which could be clear of adulteration. Given the money constraints, the officer may be tempted to ignore other adulterated product samples and go for this free sample. This becomes a breeding ground for corruption, said the official. He added, Besides, the inspectors are not even provided standardised equipment for collection of samples. They buy temporary containers for storing the samples picked for testing - these containers sometimes maybe the cause of adulteration as well.

Shocking levels of arsenic found in baby formula made with brown rice syrup
Think baby formula with brown rice syrup is the healthier choice? Think again: infant formula made with brown rice syrup may contain 30 times more arsenic than other formulas, according to a new study from Dartmouth College. Environmental chemist, Brian P. Jackson led the team of researchers in their study of arsenic levels in 17 infant formulas. Their results are surprising: formulas made with brown rice syrup contained a staggering 20 to 30 times more arsenic than other formulas. One organic infant formula sweetened with brown rice syrup contained six times the amount of arsenic the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe for drinking water. The research team also looked at arsenic levels in 29 cereal bars. Brown rice syrup and other rice products were listed in the top five ingredients of 22 of these bars - and those were the cereal bars that contained the highest arsenic levels. While arsenic is regulated in drinking water, there are no current federal limits for arsenic in food. Because of this, high levels of arsenic can be present in foods many parents assume are safe for children, such as organic infant formulas and cereal bars. Researchers say, "There is an urgent need for regulatory limits on arsenic in food."

News Briefs
Ciphet training in fermentation techniques for cellulolytic enzymes in March
The Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) has announced training in fermentation and downstream processing techniques for production and purification of cellulolytic enzymes under the NAIP sub-project on Novel biotechnological processes for production of high value products from rice straw and bagasse. The training course will be conducted at CIPHET premises, PO - PAU, Ludhiana,From March 2 to 11, 2012, under course director - Dr H S Oberoi, principal scientist, AS& EC Division, CIPHET. The training is free of cost and free accommodation and meals will be provided. The maximum seats available are 10 and eligibility will be post-graduate degree in microbiology / biochemistry / process engineering / food science and technology/ fermentation technology and allied sciences. The highlights of the course - Fermentation techniques employed for production of cellulolytic enzymes; Screening techniques for microbes producing cellulolytic enzymes; Enzyme assays for cellulases; Immobilisation methods for cellulolytic enzymes; Characterisation of cellulolytic enzymes; Purification techniques for cellulases; Application of membrane technology for concentration of cellulases; Feed evaluation studies of the residues after enzyme extraction; Fermenter design and scale-up of the fermentation processes; Hands-on training for hydrolysis of biomass and characterisation of sugars; and Visits to nearby laboratories for on-the-site experience. For details, contact: Dr R K Gupta, Director/Dr S N Jha, Head, AS&EC Division/ Dr H S Oberoi, Principal Scientist, AS&EC Division, CIPHET, PO - PAU, Ludhiana, Email: ciphet@sify.com chocolate membrane containing hot chocolate. Edwards plans to develop WikiCells further so they will someday be commercially available to the public. In the near term, we will be encountering WikiCells in restaurant settings," he said. After that, Edwards plans to expand WikiCells to specialty stores and supermarkets. Eventually, he hopes to develop a product platform for WikiCells that would allow individuals to produce their own edible bottles.

Pasteurizing Almonds with infrared heat

New research from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Regional Research Center has discovered a new almond pasteurizing technique called sequential infrared and hot air" (SIRHA) which provides fast, reliable and relatively economical pasteurization. According to the researchers, giving almonds a burst of infrared heat, followed by a stint of hot-air roasting, offers a simple, safe, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way to reduce Salmonella enterica populations to levels generally recognized as safe. Taste tests revealed infrared heating didn't alter the mild taste, smooth texture, attractive appearance or other characteristics of the almonds. It's generally thought that almonds are not naturally contaminated with high levels of Salmonella enterica; however, all almonds processed for sale in the United States today have to be pasteurized in order to kill Salmonella. The pasteurization procedure has to be powerful enough to reduce Salmonella population levels by a 4-log minimum. That's a 10,000-fold decrease. For the studies with shelled, roasted almonds, for example, the team targeted a medium roast," during which almonds' naturally light in shade deepens somewhat. The scientists compared the effectiveness of three approaches: conventional hot-air heating, infrared heating or SIRHA. They found SIRHA was more energy efficient than either infrared or hot-air heating alone. With the combined infrared and hot-air heating, we can produce a pasteurized product and significantly reduce roasting time. That should help processors save on their energy bills," the researchers said. For this work and their newest study with raw almonds, the team used the bacterium Enterococcus faecium as a research model and substitute, or surrogate, for S. enterica. The roasting studies showed, for instance, a more than 5.8log reduction in E. faecium levelsexceeding the required 4log minimum. That target was met handily by heating the almonds with infrared until they reached a surface temperature of 140C, then roasting them with hot air at the same temperature for about 11 minutes. The infrared step took about 1 minute, using emitterspositioned above and below the almondsthat produced 5,000 watts of energy per square meter. Some packinghouses already use infrared heating, but not for pasteurizing. Instead, it's part of a wet/dry process to remove almonds' paper-thin skin, or pellicle, for certain almond products.

Harvard Scientist Develops Edible Food Packaging

A Harvard University scientist has developed a new edible packaging technology that allows individuals to eat and transport food without plastic. Called WikiCells, the packaging encloses food and liquid in an edible membrane. WikiCells was developed by David A. Edwards who also developed inhalable chocolate, inhalable caffeine and a tuberculosis vaccine in the form of a spray. For this project, he wanted to create a bottle based on how nature creates bottles, citing grapes as an example of one of nature's "bottles." WikiCells imitate such natural packaging by enclosing food and liquid in an edible membrane. The membrane, which is comprised of a charged polymer and food particles, is in turn protected by a hard shell which can be broken away much like that of an egg. Edwards and his team have developed a variety of different platforms for WikiCells that can be served as meals, drinks and snacks, including a tomato membrane containing gazpacho soup that can be poured over bread; an orange membrane filled with orange juice that you can drink with a straw; smaller grape-like membrane holding wine; and a

Chief Editor: K.L. Radhakrishnan assisted by Ms. Jyoti Soni, Food Technologist & Mr. Vishal Sarin, Junior Executive Published by: All India Food Processors Association, 206, Aurobindo Place Market, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016 Tel:- 011-26510860/26518848, Telefax:- 011-26510860, E-mail:- aifpa@vsnl.net; Website:- www.aifpa.net