Article on CAG's survey of helmet and seatbelt rule compliance in Chennai. While those driving vehicles are largely complying with the helmet/seatbelt rules, pillion rider and passenger compliance continues to be very poor.
CAG’s article about the new transfat regulation highlights the Food Safety and Standards Authority Of India regulation. FSSAI notified the 2019 draft regulation to further reduce transfat levels in oils and fats to be less than 3% by weight effective from January 2021 and to be less than 2% by weight from January 2022. In addition, the oils and fats used to prepare food products should also contain less than 2% transfat levels by weight that is to be effective from January 2022’.
CUTS International, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), Consumer Voice, Generation Saviour Association (GSA) and DISHA Foundation, recently presented an eight point Charter of Demands to FSSAI as immediate steps to be taken for the elimination of trans-fats from the Indian food system by 2022.
CAG wrote to the Minister for Social Welfare, GoTN highlighting the need to ensure food under the Mid Day Meal Scheme continues to reach underpriveliged children even though schools are not functioning in person. Otherwise, considering the impact of the pandemic on livelihoods, children may be pressed to work for daily wages and this will have a huge impact on their education even after schools resume full functioning.
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A survey conducted by CAG has revealed that 80% of consumers are not aware of the harmful effects of artificial trans fats and 81% use some form of trans fat such as vanaspathi, margarine or fat spread at home. 9 out of 10 do not read food labels.
An important article that talks about the urgent need to overhaul the functioning of consumer courts.
Sejal Mehta stresses on the need for people to worry about environmental clearances given to projects that destroy India's biodiversity; Niraj Bhatt shares ideas for advocacy, outreach and active public participation for strong environmental protection and justice.
Globally, food safety is a cause for major concern. One in 10 across the globe fall sick, around 420,000 people die and more than 33 million healthy life years are lost every year due to consumption of contaminated food, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).