HRAWI BACKS HEALTH MINISTRY'S PROPOSAL, ADVISES MEMBERS TO BE FSSAI COMPLIANT

FBOs In Favour Of Health Ministry’s Proposal To Revamp The Food Regulatory Structure

Mumbai: The Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) has backed the Health Ministry’s proposal to the Union Cabinet for revamping the food regulatory structure in the country. In a recent communication, the association has asked its members to be fully co-operative with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and expedite completing the process of seeking conversions and renewals for existing license or registration.

The health Ministry has sent a Rs 1,700-crore proposal to the Union Cabinet for a major overhaul of the food regulatory structure. The objectives of the proposal are to strengthen the states’ inspection apparatus, bolster the FSSAI’s manpower, give the FSSAI more powers and ensure that the authority has access to state-of-the-art technology.

Bharat Malkani, President, HRAWI

“The HRAWI has always been a proactive institution when it comes to adopting safety and hygiene standards in the industry. We have always worked as a partner with the government in the interest of hospitality and tourism in the country. There is a big need to reform the regulatory structure because inconsistencies in food safety and standards are serious issues and if not addressed, will negatively affect the image of tourism in the long run. We fully back the Health Ministries’ proposal and wish to assert its importance to the Union Cabinet,” says Mr.  Bharat Malkani, President, HRAWI.

The FSSAI has assigned August 4^th, 2015 as the deadline for obtaining Food Business Operator (FBO)’s license for all food businesses, from roadside eateries to restaurants. The deadline is applicable for FBOs seeking conversions and renewals for existing license or registration under a repealed order.

“We are grateful to the FSSAI to have given FBOs time to comply with the required standards in order to obtain the licenses. It is a herculean task to incorporate the changes in procedures and protocols but we understand the need for it and are doing everything it takes to meet the deadline,” adds Mr. Malkani.

“In fact to carry out due diligence at the primary level, we have set up a non-commercial food testing laboratory in Vadodara that follows global standards of food safety and hygiene. This benefits thousands of FBOs including bakery federations, catering associations, food retail traders and mithaiwala associations, among others in testing their products. This arrangement provides the kind of service that also helps hoteliers maintain standardised practices and helps keep up with the standards required to be maintained by the food authorities. The end objective is to ensure that there is no negligence with regards to food safety and hygiene. We hope to achieve this standard across the country and will support the food authority in this endeavour,” concludes Mr. Malkani.

About Hotel & Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI)

The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) is a 65 years old Association of Hotels and Restaurants, representing majority of Hotels and Restaurants across Western India, which covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Daman, Diu & Silvassa and is more or less considered to be the voice of the Hotel Industry / Fraternity. The four Regional Associations form a part of the “Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India” (FHRAI) at the centre in New Delhi, which is our parent body. The Association is part of the national body of the “Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India”, which was originally founded in Mumbai in 1950, by the late Mr. J.R. D. Tata.

CARE WORLD TV’S NEW SERIES ‘F – FACTOR’ TO ERADICATE THE FACTOR OF FEAR IN FOOD

Test Everyday Consumables For Adulteration, At Home

Mumbai: The first and largest healthcare satellite channel in Asia, Care World TV will host a new series, ‘F – Factor’ to help people deal with the nuisance of food adulteration. The fifty-two episode series will have well-known microbiologists on the show, who will demonstrate simple Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tricks and tips of testing food products at home. The series will be aired from July 1^st and is aimed at informing viewers about different types of adulteration in various food items. The emphasis of the show will be to educate viewers about adulteration and its harmful health effects and will also inform them about different types of packaging done for different food items.

“Food adulteration has become so common that almost everyone is suffering from its consequences. Being a health and wellness channel it is our prime concern to alert and educate our viewers about the existing malpractices and identify ways to counter it,” says Mr. Ajit Gupta, Managing Director, Care World TV. “We have set out on a mission to fight this malpractice that is rampant in the market and which is affecting people’s health. Each show will demonstrate different everyday food items like fruits, sugar, ghee, ice-cream, sweets, milk among others and the experts will guide viewers with simple DIY experiments on how to trace possible adultery. By doing this at home one can at least become self-reliant and determine if what is being consumed is indeed safe,” he adds.

The series comes at a time when there apprehension in the minds of consumers over the toxic composition of chemicals in packaged food products. The series will also address certain aspects of labelled food products and educate buyers on identifying the elements that may be harmful for consumption.

“The tests on our shows will be simple and effective in identifying adulteration in food. For example sugar, an ingredient that is used in every household can be easily tested for adulteration with water. All one needs to do is add a little water to sugar and check if it leaves a chalky residue. If yes, it could mean that the sugar has been mixed with Calcium Carbonate which is extremely risky to the health, if consumed. Ideally sugar when diluted with water should be clear once dissolved. Most tests on the show will be as simple as this and we are sure that these simple experiments will help viewers tremendously,” says Mr. Gupta.

“Our objective is to help people safeguard their interests and take precautionary measures against health hazards. In today’s competitive market, some unethical companies may resort to misleading the consumer by misrepresenting facts in their communications or in extreme cases cut corners to capture market share. It is upto to consumer to carry out due diligences and protect their own and family’s health. We hope our viewers will benefit from F – Factor,” concludes Mr. Gupta.

About Care World TV: CARE WORLD TV, Asia's only Satellite healthcare TV Channel, emerged as the need of the hour by fulfilling a vacant niche, has successfully completed 7 years of disseminating health related information to the masses thus bridging the gap between the functionary and the beneficiary. Keeping in tune with the boom in the healthcare Industry with constant changes, in trends, development, research, the channel has introduced various innovative shows with exclusive content. The content is produced in its Mumbai involving experts from the industry has generated viewers in India, Bangkok, Pakistan, Nepal and many more Asian countries. Care World is available on all major Cable Networks across the country and also can be accessed on Videocon DTH.

INDIA’S 1ST INSTITUTE FOR ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS ANNOUNCED

India’s 1st Institute For Astronomy & Astrophysics Announced 

·         World Renowned Astrophysicists & Astronomers Part Of Teaching Faculty

·         Students To Have Access To Solar & Stellar Observatories

·         Nobel Laureates & Scientists Of International Repute To Mentor Students

·         Scholarships For Meritorious & Financially Backward Students

·        India’s Most Prestigious International Science Conference To Commemorate Centenary Years of Einstein’s Theory Of Relativity & The Birth Centenary Of Renowned Astrophysicist Professor Sir Fred Hoyle

 

(L-R) Rajubhai Raval (Vice Chairman - IPS), Dr. Mohanbhai I Patel (Former Mumbai Sheriff), Dr. J J Rawal (President - IPS)

Mumbai: The Indian Planetary Society (IPS), the nation’s leading science research organisation at a press conference announced the launch of India’s first world-class institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The institute has been set up in collaboration with Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT) in Anand, Gujarat. The institute will be a first-of-its-kind with observatories for solar and stellar studies and will commence from August, 2015.

The institute is built within the campus of CHARUSAT and is named Dr. Mohanbhai I. Patel (D. Sc.) Institute of Excellence in Astronomy and Astrophysics. A group of world renowned astrophysicists and scientists will be on board as visiting faculties in addition to a brilliant core group of in-house teaching faculty. Also, each year the institute will invite Nobel Laureates and scientists of international repute to interact and share knowledge and experiences with students, for a week.

“This will be India’s first Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics with state-of-the-art facilities and observatories. The centre will offer courses for M. Phil, Ph. D. and M. Sc., physics with specialization in Astronomy and Astrophysics. The education imparted to students here will also incorporate courses in Science of ancient India and its relevance with modern science. We also plan to educate students in Sanskrit and music. The aim of the management is to make this institute a centre of excellence in higher learning and strive to become the Taxasheela or Nalanda or Vikramasheela of modern India,” says Dr. J J Rawal, President, IPS.

The campus houses a world-class library, laboratories, audio-visual unit, photographic unit, conference hall and an auditorium. The campus will also have its own hostel and recreation facilities for students as well as the faculty. Most importantly, the institute will offer scholarship to students securing merit as they progress each year and also will provide financially disadvantaged but deserving students full scholarships for their entire academic career at the institute.

Albert Einstein

“The year 2015 is the centenary year of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and the birth centenary year of Professor Sir Fred Hoyle. Both their works have been found to be the foundation of modern physics and cosmology. To commemorate and to felicitate their contribution to science, the IPS in collaboration with CHARUTAR will organize an International conference to pay tribute to their life’s works,” adds Dr. Rawal.

Prof Sir Fred Hoyle

“The conference will cover topics on various aspects and applications of Einstein’s Theories, Life and Work of Einstein and Life and work of Professor Sir Fred Hoyle. It will also discuss the contribution of Indian Scientists in all these fields including recent developments on Black Hole, Worm Holes, Quasars, Pulsar and so on. Eminent astrophysicists and cosmologists from across the world have been invited to enlighten the young generation, students, teachers and researchers. There will also be an exhibition and a half-an-hour documentary film on recent developments in science,” concludes Dr. Rawal.