Through a press release, the FSSAI has stated that an increase in media coverage about food safety is a good development and both electronic and social media play a useful role in public outreach. However, the recent spate of false and malicious videos on various print and social media platforms regarding the safety and quality of food available in the country is a negative trend.’ CEO. FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal has said that ‘such news creates fear amongst the public at large and erodes their confidence in the food control system of the country. There have been reports of plastic eggs and plastic rice and more recently, a fake video had gone viral on social media related to the presence of melamine in milk. It was maliciously rejected that FSSAI had given permission for use of melamine in milk. The FSSAI has posted the facts about melamine in milk as FAQs on its website.
It must be noted that use of melamine either as an ingredient or as an additive is not permitted in any food under the food safety regulations in India, although maximum limits for the presence of melamine in food, including milk, have been established under the regulations to address the incidental presence of melamine as a contaminant. The standard for maximum limits of melamine in food, in India, is at par with international standards and is based on a proper risk assessment with respect to consumer health and safety.
FSSAI has also expressed concern about misinterpretation of the recent interim report on the National Milk Quality Survey 2018. This was by far the most comprehensive survey on safety and quality of milk in the country. From May to October this year, 6400 samples of raw and processed milk, covering all States and UTs, were tested for quality parameters (fat and solids-not-fat content) and for 12 adulterants and 4 contaminants (pesticides, antibiotics, aflatoxin M1 and ammonium sulfate). The survey found that the problem of milk adulteration was minuscule, even though a little less than 10% of the milk samples had contaminants that came from primary production causing some concerns about the safety of milk. FSSAI is currently engaged in doing root cause analysis so that appropriate corrective and preventive action could be taken in this regard.
Contrary to the findings above, certain media reports interpreted the milk survey report wrongly and portrayed the milk in India as largely unsafe. Earlier this year, several newspapers reported of a WHOadvisory that ‘if adulteration of milk and milk products is not checked immediately, 87 percent of citizens would be suffering from serious diseases like cancer by the year 2025 (in India)’. FSSAI had ascertained that no such advisory was issued by the WHO at all. It appears that the report first appeared in one newspaper, and later was picked up by other newspapers. FSSAI and/or WHO was not even approached for clarifications.
In this regard, CEO, FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal has pointed out that this kind of false propaganda is neither good for common citizens nor helpful for food businesses. It also erodes global trust in the food system of the country and in food businesses and potentially has far-reaching public health, social and trade implications. FSSAI intends to write to media houses and agencies to have internal checks so that reports on food safety are carefully verified. FSSAI also plans to hold a media workshop to build capacity in media on the technical aspects of reporting on food safety. On the issue of fake news and videos on social media platforms, FSSAI has already written to the Ministry of Electronics and IT so that a system for tracking of such messages could be put in place and perpetrators of such mischievous videos could be brought to book and penal action initiated against them.
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