Latest news with #FoodSafetyandStandards
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Bengaluru's Empire restaurant found using banned colours for kebabs, health dept to initiate action
Bengaluru's renowned restaurant chain Empire has come under scrutiny from the Karnataka Health Department after tests revealed that chicken kebabs from several of its outlets were unsafe for consumption. Ambarish Gowda, Food Safety Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), inspected the Empire outlet near Anand Rao Circle on June 27 during a routine check, and collected 2 kilograms of chicken kebab samples for laboratory analysis. Later, the Authority collected more samples from six outlets, and all of them were declared as unsafe for consumption. Test results from the State Food Laboratory of the Public Health Institute, released on July 11, showed that the kebabs failed to meet the safety standards mandated under the Food Product Standards & Food Additives Regulations, 2011. Consequently, the food was officially declared unsafe under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said there is a law prohibiting the use of Sunset Yellow. 'After getting to know about it in the past, we had warned them (Empire). However, they are using [the colour]. We again took the kebabs for tests from six of their outlets, and we will initiate action against them,' the minister said Sunday. Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)'s Food Safety and Drug Administration (North Zone) has issued a formal notice requiring the restaurant to respond within 30 days. According to officials, Empire can request a retest of samples at the Central Food Technological Research Institute-Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Mysuru, at their own expense. When The Indian Express contacted Empire restaurant authorities, they said they would revert with their response to the issue. However, they are yet to respond at the time of publishing the news article. According to sources, the Empire outlets were using Sunset Yellow, an artificial colour for the kebabs, which is said to be harmful, especially among children. In June this year, the Karnataka Government banned the usage of artificial colours in chicken kebabs, fish and vegetarian food items across the state. As many as 39 kebab samples were collected from various parts of the state, and when tested, seven kebab samples had sunset yellow and one contained both sunset yellow and carmoisine. Thereafter, the department issued an order on June 21 stating, 'Such additives, as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products, Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, pose serious health risks to consumers.' The violation of the rules can lead to imprisonment ranging from a minimum of seven years up to a life term and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Bad news for Deepinder Goyal as Maharashtra govt takes big decision on Blinkit, Zepto after..., says will continue to...
(File) In more trouble for quick commerce majors Zepto and Blinkit amid the controversy surrounding their dark stores in Maharashtra, the state government has announced that it would continue regular inspections of these units to ensure cleanliness and other mandatory standards are being followed. The development comes after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered the closure of dark stores of both Zepto and Blinkit in early June for allegedly violating hygiene standards. The state suspended the food license of a Zepto dark store in Dharavi, while a similar facility of Blinkit was shuttered in Pune. Why FDA took action against Zepto and Blinkit? Last month, based on a consumer complaint, the Maharashtra raided a Blinkit dark store, run by Darkstore Services near Mitcon College in Pune's Balewadi area, and found that the facility was operating without a food safety license, in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Apart from lack of a license, several other gross violations of hygiene standards were found during the FDA inspections, such as pieces of food items lying on the floor, workers handling consumables without headgear, etc. Following the revelation, the Joint Commissioner (Food) ordered the store operator to immediately halt all food- related activities until it obtains a valid food license from authorities. In Zepto's case, the FDA cancelled the license of its Dharavi facility for non-compliance with food standards. As per the FDA, Zepto's Dharavi dark store was shuttered for violating several regulations, including Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, according to a report by NDTV Profit. According to the agency, gross violations of food standards norms were found at Zepto's Dharavi facility, including fungal growth in certain food articles, and food products stores near stagnant water, which indicated poor hygiene as cold storage rules were flouted. The inspection also discovered the facility's floors were wet and filthy, and food items were stored in a disorganized and unsanitary manner, including directly on the floor. The state FDA had also found norms violations during inspections at Zepto facilities in Bhiwandi, Bandra West and Borivali. What happened to these stores after FDA action? According to Moneycontrol report, the Zepto and Blinkit have reopened their dark stores after acquiring the necessary permissions from authorities. 'Blinkit and Zepto have made the necessary changes. We had sent them a letter clearly stating that all their stores should follow the cleanliness and rules. They have assured us that these rules are now being followed completely. However, we are constantly checking whether everything is being implemented properly or not,' the report quoted Maharashtra's Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Yogesh Kadam as saying.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Chicken kebabs from popular outlet in Bengaluru declared ‘unsafe' by State food safety authority
Despite a ban on the use of artificial food colours in food preparation, a popular restaurant chain in Bengaluru has been found to be using synthetic food colours in chicken kebabs. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA), through its State-level inspection and laboratory testing, has declared chicken kebab samples from one of the several outlets of Empire Restaurant in Bengaluru 'unsafe' for consumption. Officials from FSDA said chicken kebab samples were collected from several Empire branches. The samples from the chain's outlet in Gandhinagar was specifically flagged after two kilograms of kebab samples were collected from there and tested in the State Food Laboratory at the Public Health Institute on June 26. 'Upon testing, the lab confirmed that the food item was unsafe, based on parameters prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. A notice has now been issued to the Empire Restaurant in Gandhinagar, giving them 30 days to respond,' a top official said. The restaurant has been given the option of challenging the report by placing a request for retesting the second part of the food sample at CFTRI, Mysuru, at their own cost, within the 30-day window. If no response is received within that period, legal action under the FSSAI Act will be initiated, the official said. Last year's ban In June last year, the government had banned the use of artificial colours in kebabs made with vegetables, chicken, and fish across the State and had warned those involved in the manufacturing and sale of kebabs in the State to strictly comply with the ban. The decision then followed an analysis of 39 kebab samples from various locations in the State by government-run laboratories. Tests had revealed that eight of the 39 samples were unsafe owing to the presence of artificial colouring agents. While the presence of sunset yellow colour was found in seven samples, one sample had sunset yellow and carmoisine colours, which are harmful to health. 'The use of such additives is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products, Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, as they pose serious health risks to consumers. Hence, the use of such artificial colours has been banned in the preparation of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs,' the official order had stated. The violation of these rules can lead to imprisonment, ranging from a minimum of seven years up to life term and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh under Rule 59 of the Act, the order stated. Prior to that, in March, the State government had banned the use of artificial colours in edible items such as gobi manchurian and cotton candy. The ban was imposed after carcinogenic chemicals were found in the artificial colours used in these food items.
News18
4 days ago
- News18
Two truck drivers held with gutkha consignments valued at Rs 1.23 crore
Last Updated: Palghar, July 26 (PTI) Police seized consignments of banned gutkha, valued at Rs 1.23 crore, from two trucks on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Palghar district and arrested two drivers, an official said on Saturday. 'The banned tobacco products were concealed inside two containers and were being transported in violation of state laws and food safety regulations. The estimated value of the seized gutka is Rs 1.23 crore," the Talasari police station officer told PTI. He stated that the seizure was made during patrolling on Friday afternoon at Vikaspada in Talasar. The drivers were arrested under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations and the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations. Further investigation is underway, he added. PTI COR NSK Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Tax money goes up in smoke: ₹104 crore tax evasion by tobacco dealers detected this fiscal year, says govt
The authorities have detected 61 cases of tax evasion by dealers of tobacco products such as gutka, cigarettes and pan masala across the country, amounting to ₹ 104.38 crore till June this financial year. The information was provided to the Lok Sabha on Friday in response to a question on whether the government has assessed the extent of tax evasion, illicit trade and unregulated manufacturing in the Zarda sector. In a written reply, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav stated that the Department of Revenue has informed that the illegal trade of tobacco products is a clandestine activity, making it difficult to accurately estimate the loss of revenue. However, Jadhav's reply confirmed that 'Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) zones and Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGI) have detected 61 cases of (tax evasion by) gutka/chewing tobacco/cigarettes/pan masala (entities) involving tax amounting to approximately ₹ 104.38 crore in the current financial year up to June 2025." Regarding steps taken to strengthen the enforcement action, Jadhav explained that the DGGI and CGST officers have been sensitised to deal with the issue. Their focus is on verifying and enhancing the level of compliance of registered taxpayers as well as identifying unregistered entities to bring them under the tax net. Jadhav also clarified the regulatory landscape surrounding tobacco products. Pan Masala standards: The standards for pan masala are prescribed under sub-regulation 2.11.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Manufacturers are required to comply with these specifications. Gutka standards: It was also noted that no standards of gutka are prescribed under this specific regulation. Prohibition of Tobacco in food: Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales) Regulation, 2011, prevents the use of tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in food products.
