CERC finds leading brands have copper and arsenic beyond permissible limits
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5 mg/kg is the highest allowed limit for Copper in turmeric
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That organic turmeric, you pay a bomb for, to ensure that you get a chemical free product may actually be laced with heavy metals. For, a Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) study has found presence of heavy metals beyond the safe limits in some leading brands of organic turmeric powder.
Pritee Shah, Chief General Manager, CERC said several brands had been making claims of being organic and it was the perfect time to test. “We chose turmeric because it is a commonly used product. Moreover, people pay a high price for organic products in the belief that they are getting better quality things that is chemical free and safe to consume. But our study has proved otherwise,” said Shah.
CERC tested six popular national organic turmeric powder brands for safety, specially for the presence of pesticide residues and heavy metals, namely lead, copper, tin, zinc, cadmium, arsenic and mercury.
Heavy metals can be individuals and compounds and many of them are necessary to support life. However, if consumed in larger amounts, they become toxic. They build up in the biological system and are a significant health hazard.
Because of lack of analytical standards for organic food in India, CERC followed the standards applicable to conventional turmeric powder as per the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins & Residues) Regulations, 2011.
Of the six brands that were tested, none were found to have chemicals or lead or tin. Mercury and cadmium were within limits but copper and arsenic were found in three and four brands respectively
Fab India had the highest level of copper 7.20 mg/kg as against the limit of 5 mg/kg while Asal had the highest level of arsenic of 0.52 mg against the standard limit of 0.1 mg/kg.
Shah said they will pursue the matter further so that action is also taken in this matter. “We have also written to the various concerned authorities including the ministry of health,” said Shah.
On what precautions customers need to take Shah said, “Before consumers buy such products they need to read the label carefully. Write to the company and ask them what makes their product organic. These days we have companies calling their product organic and display certificate from several organisations both local and international,” said Shah.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2014
However,Consumer Education Research Centre's recent study reveals the presence of heavy metals beyond the safe limits in six popular brands of organic turmeric powder. The study was conducted with the objective to check the presence of pesticide residues and heavy metals like lead, copper, tin, zinc, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. The amount of arsenic and copper present in the organic turmeric brands is proved to be harmful for health. However, none of the brands tested was found to contain pesticide residues. Lead and tin were also not detected in any of the brands.
Other metallic elements like zinc, mercury and cadmium were within the limits in all brands. The six brands Asal, 24 Mantra Organic, Fab India Organics, Morarka Organic Down to Earth, Sattvic Organic and Natural and Vikalp Organic Product were tested in the study. But samples of three brands did not conform to the limits for copper. Fab India had the highest level of 7.20 mg/kg as against the limit of 5.0 mg/kg. The level in 24 Mantra was 5.47 mg/kg and that in Sattvic was 5.71 mg/kg. Copper is one of a relatively small group of metallic elements which are essential for human health but longterm exposure to excessive amounts could cause liver damage, kidney failure, coma and death.
Copper also brings a significant fall in the percentage of motile sperms in humans. When contacted, customer care executive Mamta at Fab India Organics said she was not authorised to provide any information regarding this and suggested sending an email for further clarification. Arsenic was also found to be beyond the safe limit in four brands. While the standard limit is 0.1 mg/kg (maximum), Asal had the highest level of 0.52 mg/kg followed by Sattvic with 0.44 mg/kg. The level in Fab India was 0.18 mg/kg and in 24 Mantra 0.25 mg/kg.
Long-term exposure to arsenic from food can cause cancer and skin lesions. It has also been associated with developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and diabetes. Consumption in childhood can cause health problems later in life. The samples were tested against the values set by the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins & Residues) Regulations, 2011. Uday Dhakan, Manufacturer of Sattvic Organics said, "Sattvic is a certified brand, we export it to various countries too. I will look into the matter and once I know all the details of the findings of the study conducted by CERC, I can comment."
Dimple Mehta, a home-maker who has been using organic food items for years said, "This is disappointing as now I don't know what a consumer should use? These companies charge lot of money from consumers as they brand their products as "organic'." Pritee Shah, CERC Chief General Manager, said, "Consumers pay high for organic food as they believe it to be good for their health. But the findings are shocking which implies consumers are not getting what they pay for. There are no analytical standards for organic food in India so, we have written to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Health and brought this issue to their notice."
Monday, October 13, 2014
Tenants harassed by builders in a development project can approach the consumer forums.
More and more old and dilapidated buildings are going in for redevelopment. The builder makes money by selling flats to new buyers, but considers it onerous to provide accommodation to the existing tenants without charging money. Since free services are excluded from the purview of the Consumer Protection Act, would the tenants be entitled to file a consumer complaint for deficiency in service against a builder?
Case Study: Jagdishbhai had a tailoring shop on tenancy basis in Moon House. The landlord sold the property to Surbhih Realtors, which decided to demolish the old building and construct a commercial property. Jagdishbhai was to be given shop No. 1, measuring 26.29 sq m in the new property. An agreement was executed, under which the builder agreed to bear expenses of registration of the sale deed. Possession of the shop was to be given in a month. In case of delay, builder agreed to pay Rs 10,000 a month.
The builder failed to give possession of the shop and offered an alternative one on the rear side of the complex. Since it was not acceptable to Jagdishbhai, he filed a complaint before the district forum for a direction to the builder to hand over shop No. 1 and to pay Rs 10,000 per month for the delay. The builder contended that Jagdishbhai was not a consumer since the transaction did not involve any payment or consideration and argued it was a landlord-tenant dispute and not maintainable before the forum.
A dilapidated house in Mumbai's Ghatkopar with residents living in it. (TOI file photo by Anil Shinde)
The district forum overruled these objections and directed the builder to hand over shop No. 1 and execute the sale deed. If this was not complied with within 30 days, the builder would also be liable to pay Rs 10,000 per month.
Both parties appealed to the Gujarat state commission. While Jagdishbhai wanted the compensation enhanced, the builder wanted the order set aside. The commission concluded that Jagdishbahi was not a consumer as the transaction was in respect to transfer of tenancy rights to ownership property and as the service was not hired for consideration. It allowed the builder's appeal and set aside the forum order.
Jagdishbhai filed a revision before the national commission, pointing out that the earlier landlord-tenant relationship had ceased to exist with the execution of the agreement for allotment of the shop on ownership basis. He also argued that consideration need not be in cash but could be in kind.
A dilapidated house in Mumbai's Lower Parel. (TOI file photo by Uma Kadam)
So, handing over the old tenanted premises would form consideration for allotment and possession of the shop in the redeveloped property. The commission allowed his revision, holding that he was a consumer, entitled to file a complaint against the builder for deficiency in service.
Since 10 years had gone by, it directed that the builder should either give possession of the shop to Jagdishbhai, else allot another shop of the same area at a prominent place in the complex. The builder was also asked to pay Rs 15 lakh, so that it would fetch a monthly interest of Rs 10,000. A compensation of Rs 2 lakh for harassment was also awarded.
Impact: Tenants harassed by builders in a development project can approach the consumer forums.
(The author is a consumer activist and has won the government of India's national youth award for consumer protection. His e-mail address is jehangir.gai.articles@hotmail.com)
Source: Times of india
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The
government is planning the most radical overhaul of key consumer laws in
decades to keep pace with a changing marketplace – from botched online shopping
experiences and shoddy haircuts at salons to exploding mobile phones.
The Ram
Vilas Paswan-headed consumer affairs ministry has decided to amend the Consumer
Protection Act 1986 to create a proposed National Consumer Protection
Authority, aiming to update the country’s consumer protection laws in light of
India’s new economy.
Indian
consumers are increasingly buying newer goods and services not covered under current
laws. For instance, there is no law yet for refunds in online shopping. What if
you paid for a song download but ended up with an empty file? An early morning
electric shock from a beard trimmer due to poor circuitry sounds funny, but
there are no rules yet on product liability.
Several
of the first-time provisions being envisaged will affect all businesses and may
even force some firms to overhaul their systems and processes.
For the
first time, the Bureau of Indian Standards – the country’s watchdog for product
quality – will set up benchmarks for paid services, such as bus journeys, hotel
packages and beauty clinics.
At
present, the BIS Act 1980 covers just 90 products, most of which are industrial
-- such as steel – that are rarely bought by individual customers.
Its
basket is being expanded to include 2,000 items of common consumption. These
include simple but life-saving equipment like a two-wheeler helmet, for which
currently there are no prescribed quality standards.
“Class-action
suits”, a legal tool, will now be extended to consumer laws, so that one
individual complaint of a faulty product or service could be treated as an
interest group of people in similar circumstances.
“There
will be clear rules for recall of product, refund of product and return of
product,” an official said.
The
three-tier consumer-court system will continue but their process will be
updated.
Currently,
the district forum deals with consumer disputes where the value of the goods or
the compensation claimed is less than Rs. 5 lakh and the state commission
hears cases for claims exceeding Rs.5 lakh but not exceeding Rs. 20 lakh. The national
commission hears claims exceeding Rs. 20 lakh and also decides cases
challenging lower court verdicts.
The
official said a review showed there is no “authority of a federal nature” that
deals with unfair trade practices. “All of this must be seen in light of the
bigger countrywide picture as well as the Constitution, which in article 301
and 307 talks of a common national market,” the official said. Source:
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Authority, through the amendment to Consumer Protection Act, 1986, can impose penalty, conduct probe into violation of consumer rights
The Union ministry of consumer affairs, in a bid to quickly dispose off cases and thereby give much-needed relief to consumers, has proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
The ministry proposes to replace the present Central Consumer Protection Council by the Central Consumer Protection Authority by delegating it with punitive powers, Food & Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told Business Standard on the sidelines of a retail and FMCG conference.
This Act might be called the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act, 2014. The authority can act against those traders who are violating consumer rights and can impose administrative penalty.
Besides, the authority can conduct investigations, either suo-motu or on a complaint, into violations of consumer rights and conduct search and seizure of documents/records/articles and other forms of evidence, summon delinquent manufacturers, advertisers and service providers to record oral evidence and direct production of documents and records. This apart, the authority can order recall of goods or withdrawal of services found to be unsafe or hazardous and order reimbursement of the price of the goods (or services) so recalled, to purchasers of such goods or services.
“In the present set-up, there are district fora, state commissions and the National Disputes Redressal Commission which compensate consumers for losses due to unfair trade practices or negligence. The experience is that a case which would have been resolved in no time, keeps on lingering due to adjournments and paperwork. Therefore, the ministry is mulling to set up the Central Consumer Protection Authority. The objective of the Central Authority will be to prevent the exploitation of consumers and violation of their rights and to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers. Cases can be resolved through mediation and conciliation,” Paswan said.
Paswan said that currently, retired judges were appointed on the consumer fora, state commissions and National Disputes Redressal Commission. However, the ministry was considering appointing members through the state public service commission at the state level and through the Union Public Service Commission at the national level. Currently, 621 district consumer fora, 35 state consumer commissions and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at the apex level are functioning. “Till July 23, 2014, a total of 41,69,564 cases have been filed and 38,01,037 cases have been disposed in all these consumer fora, thereby achieving a disposal rate of over 91 per cent,” he informed.
M S Kamath, secretary, Consumer Guidance Society of India said, “It is not the law which has failed but the people who are running the system have failed it miserably. According to the regulation, the district forum is supposed to get rid of a minimum 75 cases a month. However, the output is 30 to 35 cases in most district fora which include cases which are dismissed by default or decided ex parte.” On the minister's proposal to revamp the present structure, Kamath, who has been fighting cases since 1989 onwards, opined that the government would be only replacing one set of incompetent people with another, whose competence was not known or established.
Shirish Deshpande, chairman, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat suggested that the minister and ministry needed to sit down with various consumer organisations before finalising the amendments. Courtesy: Business Standard
Friday, August 8, 2014
6 Tips to Avoid Fraud Property Deal?
Research and analyze the market trends: If you are not aware of the real estate market, then it is best to do an extensive study and research on real estate trends. Make sure that the locality offers top line advancement as well as growth opportunities in the future. Moreover, it is better to approach Personal Financial Mentor; he can help you to take decisions based on market trends and can help you make lucrative investments.
Consult a reputed real estate agent: One of the best ways to avoid these property scams is to consult a reputed and well experienced real estate agent/ organizations. Take a feedback from users who have already been serviced by the real estate agent. You can pick up huge benefits by working with a reliable real estate agent and they are well proficient in getting you the best deal for all the properties you are planning to invest.
Personally inspect the property and get property appraisal: Before you purchase a property better to inspect personally and make sure that the property is free from legal issues. Keep in mind that the property should not be in agricultural land or a forest area. Employ a home inspector or approach a property valuation agency which can help you in the task.
Examine the property title deed and related documents: Careful examination of related documents and title deed is required to evade fraud property deal. It should be free from claims, encumbrances and mortgages. All the related documents should be transparent and genuine.
Appoint a legal consultant: Hiring a trusted and experienced lawyer can assist you in property matters and can also verify the documents legally. It will keep you away from phony and illegal dealings.
Maintain a comfort level with your real estate agent: Good professional agents will guide you and assist you in all the aspects until you close the deal. It will be better if you maintain a comfort level with your real estate agent. The comfort level by itself does not assure you a fraud free property deal; it helps you to have a reliable and supportive realtor. By SiliconIndia
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
On Monday, @BudweiserIndia tweeted out a cheery message to its 6,000 followers: "How are you coping with your #MondayBlues! Keep your #Buds close and watch them disappear!" Does a tweet urging beer consumption constitute advertising? It's not quite clear. The rules banning the advertising of liquor products are at least about half a century old and predate the computer age. Social media is, naturally enough, a grey area.
No matter, liquor companies have been happily making use of the platform. Diageo, the world's biggest liquor company, the UB Group's Kingfisher beer, Budweiser, Tuborg, SAB Miller, Johnnie Walker are all active on Facebook and Twitter, using them to spread the message about their brands, complete with visuals. Kingfisher tweeted to its 44,000 followers on Wednesday from @kingfisherworld: "Okay so beerheads, here we go. Remember that 1st #KFBeer you ever had?
We want to know the story! Tweet to #HowIMetMyKFBeer right away!" Last year, Diageo's vodka brand Smirnoff, using the handle @SmirnoffIndia, had this to say: "You don't need an occasion to gift someone gold! Treat your friends to the royal taste of Smirnoff Gold today."
Samar Singh Shekhawat, senior V-P (marketing), UB, said: "The guidelines do not clearly define ban on social media and there are no clear clauses for liquor companies by the I&B (information and broadcasting) ministry on social media and online advertising."
However, he added that liquor companies tend to self-regulate by strictly following the age-restriction policies of the sites. "So whoever comes on to the social media platform are well within the drinking age limit. Whatever is not allowed on mainstream media we do not put on as digital advertising unless it is age gated," Shekhawat said.
However, while brands ask consumers to enter their age or date of birth in order to access their websites, there is no way to restrict the visibility of tweets.
A top executive at another leading liquor brand said, "The maximum traction that social media gets is from our core target audience. The absence of any law has made it easier for us to interact with them directly."
Arvind Sharma, former chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), said social media messages from a manufacturer qualify as advertising.
"On the whole any message put out by a company is an ad," he said. "It is not an ad if it is created by the consumer.
While ASCI is yet to receive any complaint against liquor brand related to social media activities, "such messages should not be allowed as social media is also a form of media", he said.
Although the rules haven't been amended in the last 50 years, the spirit of the law can still be implemented, said Prem Rajani, managing partner of legal firm Rajani, Singhania & Partners. "While one may argue that you need a clear statute to pin them, I would say the current statute if interpreted properly should be enough to pin them down."
The information and broadcasting ministry hadn't responded to queries as of press time. Interestingly, tobacco brands in India which are also barred from advertising, have not taken the social media route. Even international brands such as Marlboro don't have any social media engagement with Indian consumers.
ET Retail.com
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Competitive sport and junk food should not go hand in hand. Consumers International’s social media campaign during the World Cup in Brazil this month demonstrates that unfortunately they often do, says CI's Nora Blascsok.
The tournament is being used by the food industry to market unhealthy food. Coca Cola is one of FIFA’s major partners and McDonald’s is one of the first-tier World Cup sponsors.FIFA partners pay between $25-50 million each per year, while first tier sponsors pay between $15-20 million each. Besides sponsors, other companies like Pepsi, Domino’s and KFC use the World Cup to sell more food and drink products. According to consumer research firm Webloyalty, sales of unhealthy food and beverages tied to the World Cup will reach $459 million in the UK alone.
To highlight the problem, CI asked people to collect examples of adverts in which pictures of footballers and other images relating to the World Cup are used to advertise food and beverage products high in fat, salt or sugar.
These examples were then tweeted or posted on Facebook using the hashtag #JunkFoodWorldCup.
CI Members, as well as many other people on social media around the world, actively participated in the campaign.
Pictures of billboards, TV adverts, interactive marketing promos and publicity stunts involving famous footballers were published on social media, showing how truly global the reach of the food industry and its marketing machine is, especially during events like the World Cup (see our collection of pictures on Facebook).
The social media campaign has reached an estimated 76,090 accounts on Twitter, with the hashtag #JunkFoodWorldCup mentioned in 716 tweets over a period of nearly three weeks.
Many of the adverts tweeted or posted on Facebook use techniques that are known to be appealing to children.
Not only do they star footballers who are well-known and admired by children throughout the world, they also use bright colours, music and often contain an interactive element (such as competitions or games).
CI food expert Anna Glayzer points out: “If children see their favourite footballer advertising crisps or a highly sugared beverage, they will associate that product with sport and with being fit and healthy.”
200 million children globally are either overweight or obese, with 40-50 million classified as obese.
Obesity in childhood has a high likelihood of leading to diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer in adulthood.
Currently 2.1 billion people are obese and overweight worldwide.
CI is campaigning for global action to address the marketing of unhealthy food. In our publication, Recommendations towards a Global Convention to protect and promote healthy diets, CI calls on governments to restrict advertising that is likely to create an erroneous impression about a product’s health benefits and other characteristics, and to prohibit or restrict the sponsorship of international events by companies and brands associated with unhealthy foods and beverages.
You can see some of the images posted to Twitter which show the extent of 2014's junk food promoting World Cup.
Courtesy:http://consumersinternational.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/junk-food-world-cup-ci-shows-football.html
Monday, June 23, 2014
Make your home eco-friendly
With the rising temperatures, global warming is making its presence felt, making it the right time to develop an eco conscience.
Did you know that small modifications at home can make your living space eco-friendly? BT helps you go green with these simple tips...
Switch to CFL lights
They may not be as soothing as incandescent lights, but CFL bulbs save a lot of energy. For those who complain about them being too bright, there are several options available in the market these days so that you get the effect you desire. What's more, CFL bulbs are light on your pocket.
Plant a herb garden
Many of us like having potted plants at home, but instead of growing decorational flowers, plant a herb garden. They don't require a lot of effort since they are easy to grow. Plus, it's great to know that your herbs are pesticide-free and that what you are eating is healthy .
Make a compost bin
Composting is a great way to turn household trash into nutrient-rich supplement for plants. Take a bin (such as an old bucket) and make a couple of holes on the side and bottom. Layer this with broken bricks and sprinkle some water. Now place bagasse (the residue of sugarcane once the juice is squeezed out) and place it on the bricks. Sprinkle more water. Add a fistful of compost and the pit is ready.
Stop using plastic bags
The reason you have to pay for plastic bags at stores is to discourage its use.
Keep a reusable bag in your handbag or car so that it comes in handy whenever you go shopping -be it at the grocery store or the mall.
Use cloth instead of paper to clean
Find yourself always reaching out for kitchen towels or tissues to clean up a mess? Break the habit and use cloth instead. And you don't have to go out and buy fancy towels either; simply recycle and make rags out of old T shirts or towels.
Use low flow shower heads
Replace your existing shower heads with low flow ones as this can save around a 100 litres of water a day (depending on use). Also ensure that your water heater is insulated well to save energy, or replace it with a solar heater.
Switch off all lights at home
Most Indian families leave at least one light on at night as people believe that a house must not be draped in darkness.
But this is a criminal waste of electricity and is really not required.
Plug leaks
Have a leaky faucet? Get it fixed! You may think that the single drop of water that drips every few seconds isn't some thing that you must bother about, but that single drop accumulates into sever al litres a day . Pay a plumber a nominal . fee to fix a leak and to save water and see a marked difference in your water bill.
Live an unplugged life
Electric appliances like TVs, computers and iPod docks continue to consume large amounts of energy even when they are in standby mode. So ensure that you switch them off completely and even take the socket out of the plug point.
Friday, June 20, 2014
- Don't smoke: Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).
- Don't eat fruits immediately: When you eat your fruits with meals, the fruit is stuck in the stomach along with the contents of the meals and cannot reach the intestines in time. Lying there they get spoilt and spoil the remaining food in the stomach too. Thus it is recommended that you eat a fruit at least one hour after eating a meal or before your meal and preferably in the morning with empty stomach. It is in the morning that the body can best use the nutrients in the fruit and get enough energy to start the day.
- Don't drink tea: Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.It is preferable to drink tea an hour after meals.
- Don't loosen your belt: Fiction, not particularly bad for you! We generally have an attitude that a good meal is that which forces us to loosen our belts. However, loosening the belt is bad, not because it causes the intestines to twist or block but because it means that you have over eaten to a level that you are uncomfortable. Loosening of the belt may also cause you to feel comfortable once again which means you may continue overeating. So eat only to the extent that you can be comfortable without loosening your belt!
- Don't bathe: Bathing after meal will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.
- Don't walk about: Fact, it is bad for you! Walking directly after meals is a bad idea, it can result to acid reflux and indigestion. However, walking about half an hour after meals is known to be good for you. Researchers in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, have found that walking after exercise is a good way to burn energy. The point to note is when to walk, you should ideally walk for about 10 minutes and only 20-30 minutes after meal to prevent acid reflux and stomach upsets.
- Don't sleep immediately: The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine. Courtesy: Conscious Life News's
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