The Environment Health Bulletin - October, 2011
Incinerator out of service
Supreme Court allows exports; sets out to chalk out disposal plans for the rest of the unused stock
Indictment that all is not well with Indian honey After an European Union ban on Indian honey and United States raising concerns on India's role in circumvention of Chinese honey, Indian honey industry could use some good news.
Re-look Reckoned The Pesticide Management Bill, 2008 was scheduled to be tabled in the parliament during the monsoon session. But the Lokpal Bill, impeachment of a judge and debate on the validity of the appointment of a Lokayukta in Gujarat, the bill scheduled to be tabled on the first day of the parliament was given a miss. The Bill has now been pushed to the winter session.
Old Wine in New Bottle The Supreme Court on February 8 this year had ordered the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to reconstitute its scientific panel. The apex food regulatory body had inducted members from the food industry, defeating it's very purpose of regulating the food industry. Of the eight scientific panels, seven had 18 members from big food businesses.
China has banned bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles and is also contemplating increasing the death penalty to crack down on food safety rule violations. Six ministries including the ministry of health, issued notices, on May 31, confirming that use of BPA in the manufacture of infant bottles will be illegal from June 1, 2011. The notice also said that from September 1, 2011, it will be illegal to import or sell any BPA-containing baby bottles. The local food inspectors have been alerted to tighten the scrutiny on baby bottle producers to ensure compliance of the rule.
Critique of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) by Minakshi Sharma Dabas, Advocate, Corporate Law Group, New Delhi
Germany is the epicenter of an E coli outbreak in the European Union (EU). Since its outbreak on May 2, death toll has gone up to 38 in Germany, with nearly 3300 people falling ill. Several cases of kidney complications too have been reported.