For the first time, street food vendors in India will soon be required to meet a set of sanitation regulations, announced the government Tuesday. Street food is a popular option in India because it’s convenient and cheaper than offerings at hotels and restaurants. But at the majority of stands it’s also unsafe. One study found that,… Continue Reading
India
More Frozen Tuna from India Recalled Due to Salmonella Risk
The company in India that supplied the yellowfin tuna implicated in the multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to sushi is recalling 22-lb. cases of frozen tuna strips because they, too, may be contaminated with Salmonella. In a news release Wednesday, Moon Fishery (India) Pvt. Ltd. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration isolated Salmonella… Continue Reading
Two Food Poisoning Incidents in India Sicken Hundreds
Two food poisoning incidents in separate areas of India are getting attention for the large numbers of people sickened. The exact source of the illnesses remain unknown. Local residents in Jewar say as many as 300 suffered from food poisoning after eating at a ‘shraddh’ ceremony at the nearby Chiroli village on Monday. District officials… Continue Reading
US Moves to Challenge India’s Poultry Ban at WTO
The United States took the first step Tuesday toward formally challenging India’s longtime ban on U.S. poultry products before the World Trade Organization. “Over the last few years, the United States has repeatedly asked India to justify its claim that a ban on poultry products from the United States is necessary,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom… Continue Reading
Tests Show Widespread Milk Adulteration in India
A new study by food safety officials in India found that a high percentage of milk in the country is either watered down or adulterated with dangerous additives, according to Reuters. The study was conducted this month by the food safety and standards authority of India. The results do not bode will for milk drinkers…. Continue Reading
Asian Honey, Banned in Europe, Is Flooding U.S. Grocery Shelves
FDA has the laws needed to keep adulterated honey off store shelves but does little, honey industry says.
A third or more of all the honey consumed in the U.S. is likely to have been smuggled in from China and may be tainted with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals. A Food Safety News investigation has documented that millions of pounds of honey banned as unsafe in dozens of countries are being imported and… Continue Reading
Obama to Use Elite Team of Food Tasters in India
The Indian government is adding an extra layer of security to the food for President Obama’s visit to this weekend. In addition to the normal presidential food safety protocols, which presumably include Secret Service agent-chefs to taste test food, Indian media reported yesterday that an elite team of food tasters will assist with the job…. Continue Reading
New Food Safety Program in India
As India prepares to host the international Commonwealth Games this fall, the country is ramping up its food safety standards. A program called the “Safe Food Destination” has begun educating local restaurants and vendors about modern food safety standards and techniques. Restaurants can register with the organization and have their employees taught about safe food… Continue Reading
No Takers for Food Safety Accreditation in India
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s initiative to accredit food establishments has found no takers, since not a single eatery has responded to the authority’s offer for accreditation through Quality Control of India. The Food Safety and Standard Authority recently handed Quality Control of India the accreditation process, directing it to decide… Continue Reading
Lead Found in Imported Indian Spices
Researchers in Boston recently tested imported spices and food products in 15 Indian specialty stores and found a quarter of the samples contained more than 1 microgram of lead per gram, TIME reported yesterday. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, was conducted after the lead poisonings of Indian children were linked to Indian spices…. Continue Reading
India Suspends Introduction of GM Crop
On Tuesday, India denied permission for commercial cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified (GM) vegetable crop. Amid controversy and protest, the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh deemed BT brinjal–a strain of GM aubergine, or eggplant–unsafe for immediate public consumption. BBC News reported late yesterday afternoon that after much debate, Mr. Ramesh decided… Continue Reading