Should we make India dustbin of the world?

Should we allow India to become dustbin of the World?

I know it is risky but you have to pay for my product, don't ask any question, this is my business, who are you?

Yesterday (18th August 2014) in The Times of India, New Delhi Edition, on page 12, I saw an article, titled "Munna Bhai FSSAI".   It is a classic case how ignorance about the subject can create confusion in the society and create mistrust between various stakeholders. 

On matters related to science, editors must ensure that reports must have factual information and must quote the well researched reference of documents in support of their argument. Opinions based on misleading information or planted by vested interest group shows the weakness of standards in journalism.

It is high time that country should clearly decide the role of editors and code of conduct in Newspapers Industry as we are expecting or planning to do for political class and judiciary.

Hopefully, some day someone will file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this regard as well.  

Press and Media in the name of freedom of expression should not mislead the society. The paid news is a form of corruption in media. This may hurt someone innocent and his family for life and reputation beyond repair.  We expect responsible journalism for benefit of society. Will editors guild consider this?


Let me come to the topic of my interest as citizen...

Recently you all must have read all sorts of allegations against various departments dealing with imported food consignments and Food Safety Authority of India.

Let us understand why these controversies are emerging. Are these allegations correct against Government of India?

Traders are saying don’t ask us any questions and don’t check our consignments’, we know they are made in good places, by good companies so they are good.


Please allow us to dump whatever we want in India, as per our wish. Our money is more important than anything else. We don't want laws in India and who is parliament of India to stop us. They are even questioning the jurisdiction of the law in the courts, which is mandated by the Parliament of India. 

If this is so why many food consignments made by Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi, and many MNCs are regularly detained by USFDA? There must be something wrong as per US law.  There are 233 reason as per USFDA to stop any consignment entering USA.

Is this fair approach? Which country allows imports like this?

As a concerned citizen and with 30 years’ experience in food industry at all levels. I can give you many examples from around the world where foods are designed purely with profit motive and they have no utility in life either from nutrition point of you or health point of view. These chemically formulated products are basically targeting taste buds so that consumers can become addictive like tobacco, liquor or drugs.

In 21^st century, in a civilized society, when health problems are increasing and environmental degradation is also happening, what should be the role of food companies?

It is also important to understand what should be the role of food laws to ensure good health for masses.

Let us understand how food standards are framed around the world and Why food laws vary from country to country?

Every country has the right to ensure safe and wholesome food to its citizens and make laws to ensure this based on many factors.  

Some of them are as follows:

·        Food Habits

·        Consumption Pattern

·        Cooking Practices

·        Available Scientific Knowledge

·        Socio-Economic Situation

·        Climatic conditions

·        Religious Sentiments

·        Global Experiences

·        Health related Issues

·        Enforcement Challenges

·        Related Infrastructure Related Factors.

As you all know, these factors vary from country to country and society to society. That is why around the world, food laws cannot be same because this may lead to serious health hazards among common people because they may not be aware what is inside the food.

Growing cases of Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure and many lifestyle diseases are related to food and food consumption practices.

When this knowledge is now available with evidences that food intake affects the health of people and very often people do consume foods whichever is available and whatever is affordable irrespective of its nutritional value or its impact of health, role of food safety authrities becomes complicated.

In majority of cases, the economics of food decides the consumer decision making process.  Therefore, it becomes the duty to the government to ensure that good food is made available to citizens.  Whatever is not good for health, should be discouraged.  Healthy citizens and society is precondition for healthy nation.

How food laws are made?

All these laws and regulations are decided after serious technical discussion with various stakeholders.

Based on the feedback from consumers, industry and other stakeholders a proposal or request is prepared by the concerned department for consideration of scientific panels under the relevant laws. 

All relevant sources of information are considered. Based on technical deliberations, a proposal is forwarded to the concerned department to consider the facts on the subject. Once the concerned department gives approval, it goes to law ministry for legal vetting so that nothing should be proposed against the constitution and relevant laws of the country. Once the legal clearance is given, the document is placed for public comments. 

Based on the feedback from the stakeholders, the proposal is reconsidered. Any citizen is free to send her or his feedback on the proposed law. 

If there are some meaningful suggestions, they are incorporated and once again it goes to the same process of technical vetting and legal clearances and final notification is issues with a time frame for implementation.

When this process is available, why industry association and traders cannot play the role in designing good law for India, in place of shouting after the law is framed?

When the rule making system is transparent, then why controversies?

The reasons for controversies are that people involved in trade wants law should be frames to facilitate trade of their consignments. Most of the traders are not even aware what they will import next month. For traders and manufacturers their commercial interest is paramount.

Most of the traders do not develop or design the products as per the law of the land where they want to sell. They are window shoppers, they buy what they feel can give them good manrgin even in very short term technically in every consignment. They have no commitment to public health or law of the land, otherwise why most of the imported food items which are stuck at ports are in "junk food category". Rest of them are stuck due to labeling problems.

According to traders, what is good in one country is good everywhere. If this is so, why USA or EU detains consignments. Why obesity cases are rising in the developed world. 

We can say that in USA food industry is growing but at the same time food related lifestyle disease are also growing like obesity, heart problems, hypertension, etc. This indicates that industry is growing at the cost of public health; inappropriate food is one of the major factors.

Is this right approach for any society?

I don’t think so.

Should we follow the model of those countries, where citizens are suffering but industry is growing?

Definitely Not

So, What India should do?

Do what is right for the health of citizens of India. Ensure good food for all.

What about Freedom of Choice?

Freedom of choice is important and should be given to consumers but not at the cost of health of the nation. Industrial growth at the cost of environment and health is not a development; it is a major social and economic setback with long term implications.

Cigarette, tobacco and alcohol consumption is bad is well known to all. It is boldly mentioned on label. Consumers know it well that it is bad for health and will also hurt their family and society. Still they take wrong decision. Who is at fault? Should government keep quite in the name of freedom of choice?

These are clear example that consumers are not always right.

It is well known fact that consumers’ don’t always make right choice. After knowing it well that smoking and alcohol is bad for health, why even educated consumers consume cigarettes and alcohol. I failed to understand. It means they are not in a position to make right choice either due to peer pressure or due to weak decision making power.

Is this sensible decision?

In order to control these bad habits, sometimes law has to play a role in larger interest of society. Law should restrict the sale, promotion and consumptions options responsible for unhealthy habits which can impact health and environment of society adversely.

If lifestyle related diseases like obesity, heart problems, diabetes, etc. are increasing in the society who is responsible for it. What should be the food laws of that country? Should law makers remain spectators or should they come forward and do something to save the health of nation. What is your opinion?

What is the right approach for the food trade?

Society has to decide what is more important for them - health or trading activity?

All stakeholders are free to raise their voice through various channels of communication including press, political debate and technical discussions. Very often people have gone to Courts to seek the judicial interventions to protect trading interest as well as health of citizens.

Very often, courts have taken larger view in the overall interest of society and national interest.

Why imported foods are stuck at ports?

Every country has food laws to govern food trade as per the law passed by the Parliament. All these laws and related regulations are displayed on the website of concerned ministry in most of the countries including India.

When any trader exports to any country, they have to understand the law of that country where they want to sell the product. They should design the products accordingly including label declarations.

In USA there are 233 reasons under which USFDA detains the products, some may look very insignificant, but they are important. Similarly in EU, there are equal numbers of reasons to stop the trade of product, if product is not good for public health or against the norms as prescribed under the law.

USA law says no time limit can be fixed to clear the consignment (please below). They will take as much time as required to ensure safety of the product. Why traders are not asking this question to US-FDA about this clause? Why every time India is forced to answer the illogical questions?

Similarly, in India the main reason for detention on the ports is the violation of existing provisions of the law. Otherwise, why port authorities should stop the consignments’.

Why Importers are agitated?

According to importers, authorities should accept the law of the country of origin and clear the products.

It is a very strange situation, let me elaborate little bit on this – If Indian company has to export any food item, they have to follow the rules of the country where we want to sell their products. Indian laws will not apply. 

Now, traders are saying, when we are importing from other countries, Indian law should not apply, law of exporting country should apply. India law should not apply. It means, in both the cases, whether traders import or export food items, Indian laws should have no role. Is this logical?

Column writers and journalists should do research about food laws

No one is against the products made anywhere in the world, but traders should respect the law and make the products as per laws of the land where they want to sell.

Nowhere in the world, traders can disrespect or violate the laws of the land where they want to sell. So, why they are demanding India should act like a dumping ground without any law. 

Many columns and writers in newspapers are trying to justify the demand of traders by writing columns which are devoid of technical or legal logic behind their arguments. It seems newspapers are encouraging paid news because any logical journalist will right only after proper research. 

Should emotions and profits can be the sole basis of running a nation when health of 1.25 billion people is at stake. High time when people have to rasie their voice?

Food Safety is a serious problem around the World

 What is the population of Australia in comparison to India? What will be the cost of food safety to India. According to my calculations, it is 1.23 billion dollar in Australia, in India it will not be less than 100 billion dollar, because we are 50 times bigger than Australin in population plus we do not have the resources what Australia can spend on per head basis to ensure food and water quality. We also have 'massive illiteracy' about food laws in food trade. It means, we should have more stringent laws to protect public health from bad food and bad water. 

Yes, many street foods do exist but it does not justify that we should add more junk food into the system. 

Our approach should be to upgrade the street foods on hygienic basis with good nutritional value for masses at an affordable price. 

Food Safety is neither easy nor cheap. 

In this situation, what should be the role of stakeholders and Indian Laws?

Law should ensure the mandate given by the Parliament. Food Safety and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) should be promoted at all levels.

Schools should introduce courses on food safety and personal health.

Media should educate people about food hygiene and nutrition and discourage junk foods. Like they did in case of tobacco and alcohol. 

Traders should read the requirements in the law for the product and on label and follow the guidelines, like they do in other countries. Don’t blame or seek concession from Government of India to promote their business at the cost of public health.

If traders are right, courts will support them as well.

In the end, always keep in mind good food will always have good market; junk food can be flavor of the month and fad out with time. Sustainability of food business depends upon what you are offering to consumers. 

Please think about it and share your comments below...