Nearly 12% of Indian spice samples fail quality, safety standards: Report
Hyderabad: Nearly 12% of spice samples tested by Indian authorities failed to meet quality and safety standards, Reuters reported on Monday, citing data acquired through the Right to Information Act. This follows several countries taking precautionary measures over contamination risks in popular spice brands.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted inspections and tests on mixed spice blends after Hong Kong suspended sales of certain MDH and Everest brand blends in April due to high pesticide levels. The data revealed that 474 of 4,054 samples tested between May and early July did not meet quality and safety parameters.
In May, Nepal banned the import, sale, and consumption of powdered spice products from MDH and Everest. The United Kingdom also introduced stricter quality control measures for all spice imports from India following reports of alleged pesticide contamination in MDH and Everest products.
In response, Britain tightened controls on all spice imports from India, while New Zealand, the United States, and Australia have mentioned they are investigating issues related to these brands.
Meanwhile, both MDH and Everest have asserted that their products are safe for consumption. These brands are among the most popular in India, which is the world's biggest exporter, producer and consumer of spices, with their products being sold in Europe, Asia and North America.
The FSSAI told Reuters that it did not have specific breakdowns by brand but emphasised that action is being taken against the companies involved. The agency noted that penalties have been applied as per Indian law, though specific details were not provided.
Reuters' request for detailed reports on the failed samples was denied, as the agency stated that such reports were unavailable.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
