Pesticides
in bottled water
Presence
of harmful pesticides in bottled water has put one more question mark
on the authenticity of food safety norms in the country. Tests conducted
on all major bottled brands in Delhi and Mumbai by the Pollution Monitoring
Laboratory of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed
the presence of deadly pesticides – mainly lindane, DDT, malathion and
chlorpyrifos. Using European Economic Commission norms for the maximum
permissible limits for pesticides in packaged water, the CSE tests of
samples from in and around the Delhi region, showed that on an average,
each sample contained 36.4 times more pesticides than the stipulated
levels.
The
report triggered responses from both the Government and the major players
of the Rs 1000-crore industry. After probing the matter, the Health
Ministry gave its stamp of approval to the pesticide limits as approved
by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
KSIDC
signs MoU with Hindustan Coca-Cola
Kerala
State Industrial Development Corporation signed a MoU with Hindustan
Coca-Cola for manufacturing packaged fruit juices, concentrates and
allied products. The
agreement followed discussions held with the company prior to the recently
held Global Investor Meet. The
project, with an initial outlay of Rs 3000 lakh, would come up in Palakkad
with a capacity of two million per year and the packing would be in
non-returnable glasses, the first of its kind in the country.
Coconut
drink on the way from Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
is planning to set up a coconut water production and marketing facility
at its existing factory in Palakkad district of Kerala, according to
the company’s Vice President, Deepak Mehrotra. The company is currently
trying out technologies that can ensure a long shelf life for the drink.
Claiming
that tender coconut water is currently the healthiest soft drink in
the world, a Coconut Board official said the proposed project is expected
to significantly boost Coke’s bottomline, as currently there is a heavy
demand for this product but there is only one producer of coconut water
concentrate in the country.
“Besides
generating a large number of jobs, the proposed unit would also help
the coconut farmers in Kerala by fetching them good prices for their
produce,” he added.
Pepsi
plans to launch iced tea in India
Pepsi
is planning to launch iced tea in India and according to industry sources
it may introduce the new product through a joint venture with Unilever,
via its brand Lipton iced tea. Recently, Pepsi entered into a distribution
alliance with Hindustan Lever, a subsidiary of Unilever, to sell each
other’s consumer beverage brands.
However,
according to Rajeev Bakshi, Chairman, Pepsi India, the company is still
toying with the idea of launching its own iced tea brand from the global
platform as the market for iced tea is still too small and it requires
a huge investment.
Low-alcohol
beverages allowed by UP Government
The
Government of Uttar Pradesh, headed by Chief Minister Mayawati, has
permitted almost free sale of low-alcohol beverages in the State. The
move could very well trigger a retail shift, as medical, general and
departmental stores have now been allowed to sell chilled orange and
lemon-flavoured Romanov, Bacardi Breezers, fruit beers and many more
new low-alcohol beverages. These beverages would be available in 270
to 330 ml bottles. “Unlike in the West, where beer is a popular drink,
low-alcoholic beverages may find more acceptance in the Indian society
soon. It is with this aim, that the government has allowed the sale
of these carbonated beverages, with an eye on targeting teenagers,”
claimed an excise official. “We have drastically brought down the license
fees and lifted curbs on distribution, to popularise the beverages,”
he added.
Any
shopkeeper can retail these beverages through his outlet, by paying
a fee of Rs 100, till the end of this financial year. From the next
financial year (April, 2003) the fee would, however, be hiked to Rs
1,000 annually
About
half-a-dozen distilleries and fruit-drink manufacturers, including the
Balrampur distillery, Alkatia, Noida and Explicit Marketing, have already
approached the State Government for obtaining licences to manufacture
low-alcohol fruit drinks.
New
Malaysian product helps raise milk yield
A
new product in the market ‘Energreen Super SP 200’, a purely vegetable
based preparation from processed palm oil, is proving to be highly successful
with dairies in Andhra Pradesh where it was tried out recently.
The
product that is being imported from Malaysia contains Rumen bypass fat,
which is known to increase milk production and fat content in the lactating
buffaloes. The product increases the dietary energy density, thus increasing
the energy intake.
Experiments
have conclusively proved that milk output increases by 1.5 - 2.0 litres
and fat content increases by 1.0 - 1.5 per cent by giving 100 g of the
product as top dressing twice a day to lactating cows and she-buffaloes.
Salt
exports rise in 2002 after years of stagnation
According
to a Government statement, salt exports, which were stagnating at 5-6
lakh tonnes till 1998, increased to an all time high of 16 lakh tonnes
in 2002. The country produced 170 lakh tonnes salt in 2002 and also
exported for the first time to the world’s largest producer, the US.
A
consignment of 32,500 tonnes of salt was despatched to US from the Jakhau
port in Gujarat in December 2002.
Ladakh
Foods Limited launches exotic juice
Ladakh
Foods Ltd (LFL), in a joint venture with the Small Farmers’ Agri-Business
Consortium and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
of India, launched ‘Leh berry’ juice, an extract of the seabuckthorn
fruit.
According
to the LFL Group Chairman, DK Mittal, seabuckthorn, a deciduous shrub,
is wildly grown in the Ladakh region. The berries contain over 100 nutrients
vital for body functions. A protracted research by the Field Research
Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation has
led to the manufacture of the herbal beverage. Mr Mittal said that LHL
was setting up an integrated processing plant at Leh to process 2000
tonnes per annum of seabuckthorn fruit and to manufacture ready to serve
fruit nectar, fruit pulp and seed oil. Currently, Leh berry is being
manufactured at the Bhopal plant of Godrej Industries.
Nilgiri
Dairy Farm receives HACCP certification
Nilgiri
Dairy Farm has been awarded the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
(HACCP) certification by Det Norske Veritas, an Oslo-based certification
body.
The
certificate is in recognition of Nilgiri’s ‘product hygiene, quality
and safety policy’, said a press release. HACCP specifies strict regulations
for all company processes from the purchase of different components,
such as raw materials, to product sales. Suppliers of foods are supposed
to identify critical points in their production process and to control
the related risks.
According
to CK Velu, Director, Nilgiri Dairy Farm, “The notion of quality is
one of the cornerstones of our company and is linked closely to the
production of all our products.”
India
seeks certification equivalence for poultry
India
is planning to ask the US and the European Union for equivalence on
standards for export of fresh poultry and poultry product consignments.
This would mean that products once certified by the Indian Export Inspection
Council will not have to undergo quality checks in these countries.
In
a notification dated December 30, 2002, India made mandatory quality
certification and inspection of all consignments of fresh poultry and
poultry product consignments prior to their export schedules.
Ban
removed on futures trading for major commodities
The
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has removed the ban on futures
trading of the major commodities, 54 in all. Any item classified as
a commodity will now be available for futures trading, subject to approval
by the Forward Markets Commission. The 54 items include grains like
wheat, gram, jowar, bajra, maize, urad, tur, moong, masur, peas, barley
and rice; cash crops like cotton, jute and silk; spices like pepper,
cloves, ginger, nutmeg and seedlac.
This
decision came across as the culmination of commodity market reforms
that began with the appointment of the Kabra Committee in 1992-93, which
was asked to suggest measures to align futures trading with economic
liberalisation.
The
four exchanges that were allowed to trade in more than one commodity
will now be able to trade in all commodity futures. The 22-odd regional
exchanges that are allowed to trade in select commodities will be able
to initiate new commodity futures after getting specific permission
from the Forward Markets Commission.
Moves
Southwards
Parle
Products is moving south to cater to the 6,000 tonnes per month Tamil
Nadu and Kerala markets. The company has engaged a contract manufacturer
near Madurai to churn out 1,600 tonnes of biscuits per month, worth
about Rs 6.5 crore. The plant coming up at Kappalur industrial estate
would cater to the Parle depot set up at Madurai last year. The new
plant is expected to go full steam by March-end. Initially, it would
produce and pack the world's largest selling glucose biscuit brand,
'Parle G', besides 'Milk Shakthi', says Ravi Agarwal, Director of the
Hyderabad-based Patwari Bakers, which has undertaken the contract manufacturing
at Kappalur. Eventually, all Parle brands, will be made here, if Parle
decides so, he added.
Parrys
puts its confectionary business on block
Parrys
Confectionery, that produces successful brands such as Eclairs, Lacto
King and Coffee Bite, is open to selling its confectionery business.
According to MV Subbiah, 
Director
(External Relations & Innovations), Murugappa group – the parent
company of Parrys Confectionery – the entry of deep-pocketed, multinationals
in the confectionery segment had intensified the competition, making
it difficult for the domestic confectionery companies to face the stiff
competition. PS Pai, Executive Chairman, Murugappa group, said that
the group had not appointed any agency to look for suitable buyers.
Nevertheless, the company has been already receiving offers from certain
major players in the confectionery segment.
