New Delhi: Food safety regulator FSSAI on Thursday directed food businesses, including e-commerce players, to remove claims of ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ types of milk and milk products from packaging, calling such labelling misleading.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said these claims do not conform with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

In its latest order, FSSAI said it had examined the issue and found that A1 and A2 differentiation is linked to the structure of beta-casein protein in milk.

However, current FSSAI regulations do not recognize this differentiation.

“FBOs are instructed to remove such claims from their products,” the regulator said, referring to food business operators.

E-commerce platforms were also told to remove these claims from products and websites immediately.

Companies have been given six months to exhaust pre-printed labels, with no further extensions to be granted.

A1 and A2 milk differ in their beta-casein protein composition, which varies based on cow breed.

The regulator emphasized strict compliance with this directive.

Welcoming the order, Parag Milk Foods Chairman Devendra Shah said the FSSAI order is a step in the right direction.

“A1 and A2 is the category developed by marketing gimmick. …It’s essential that we eliminate misleading claims that can misinform consumers,” he said in a separate statement.

A1 or A2 milk product category never existed and globally also this trend is fading away, he said, and added that the FSSAI’s clarification supports this broader understanding.

New Delhi: UK-based pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca has started global withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine, which was provided in India as ‘Covishield’ in partnership with Serum Institute of India, days after it admitted to rare side effects of blood clotting and low platelet counts.

The withdrawal has been initiated due to a surplus of available updated vaccines since the pandemic, the company said in a statement.

AstraZeneca had partnered with Oxford University to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, which was sold in India as Covishield and as Vaxzevria in Europe.

“As multiple, variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzervria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied,” it said.

The company further said, “We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Earlier, according to global media reports, AstraZeneca had admitted that its COVID-19 vaccine could in very rare cases has the potential to cause a rare side effect called — Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).

Without referring to the side effects, the company said, “we are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally.”

It further said, “our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic.”

In India, over 220 crore dosages of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered and a majority of those were Covishield.

Dehradun: The manufacturing licence of 10 Patanjali’s Divya Pharmacy products has been suspended, according to an order issued by the Uttarakhand drug licensing authority.

The order was issued earlier this month taking cognisance of complaints about misleading advertisements of these products by the firm in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act and the Drugs and Cosmetic Act.

The firm did not provide the information sought from it regarding the products and the explanation offered by it in its defence was not satisfactory, the authority said in its order.

Divya Pharmacy products whose manufacturing licence has been suspended include Swasari Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasari Avaleha, Mukta Vati Extra Power, Lipidom, BP Grit, Madhugrit and Madhunashini Vati Extra Power, according to the order.

Udupi: After the recent rains, Udupi district has witnessed a concerning increase in dengue fever cases, prompting swift action from health authorities.  

The district’s health department has launched a comprehensive larvae survey aimed at combating the outbreak.

With a focus on city areas where larvae infestation is suspected to be high, the department is spearheading an anti-larval and mosquito eradication programme across the district. Since January this year, Udupi has already reported 47 cases of dengue. Last year’s total number of cases was 635.

Dr Prashanth Bhat, Udupi’s district vector-borne disease control officer, emphasised the importance of maintaining clean surroundings and preventing water from stagnating, especially as the rainy season approaches. “Larvae are commonly found in unused freshwater, air coolers, and discarded tires. Early detection and elimination of these breeding grounds are crucial,” Dr Bhat stated. Recalling last year’s surge in dengue cases in Udupi city areas during October, efforts were mobilised to control the mosquito population.

Medical students from Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, collaborated with the Department of Community Medicine, Udupi District Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (DVBDCP), and District Health and Family Welfare Department to conduct mosquito control initiatives. Similar concerted efforts are underway this year to curb the spread of dengue.

Over the past few years, dengue cases in Udupi have fluctuated, with 513 cases reported in 2022, 380 cases in 2021, and 139 cases in 2020. Notably, the presence of migrant worker accommodation units in the district necessitates extra vigilance, as migrant labourers are considered a high-risk group for dengue fever, the official said.

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday claimed that the Modi government was “dragged into” providing free COVID-19 vaccinations on the insistence of the opposition and the Supreme Court, and said it is hard to forget the “extent of the mismanagement” that occurred during the pandemic.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the BJP has been touting free COVID-19 vaccinations as a big achievement.

“The truth is the Modi Sarkar was dragged into doing so by the insistence of the Opposition and the intervention of the Supreme Court. Aap chronology samajhiye: On April 18, 2021, Dr. Manmohan Singh writes to the Prime Minister, urging him to clarify vaccine policy – which until then was chaotic and not systematized – and giving him well-thought out suggestions on how to maximise vaccinations,” Ramesh said on X.

On April 19, 2021, the Union government announced the “Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy” which made the vaccination of citizens between 18 and 44 years the responsibility of the state governments – decidedly not a universal free immunization scheme, he said.

On May 12, 2021, 12 leaders from the Opposition wrote a joint letter to the prime minister where they demanded a “free, universal mass vaccination campaign”, Ramesh pointed out.

On May 31, 2021, the Supreme Court termed the Modified Vaccination Strategy “arbitrary and irrational” and ordered the Modi government to review it by June 13, 2021, he said.

“It was only then, on June 7, 2021, that PM (Narendra) Modi announced a universal vaccination programme,” Ramesh said.

“It is hard to forget the extent of the mismanagement that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic: the corpses that choked the Ganga, the acute shortages of oxygen, the indignities and chaos of the vaccinations,” he alleged.

Ramesh said no amount of “propaganda” will erase the pain of lakhs of families across India

NEW DELHI: India saw a single-day rise of 157 COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases was recorded at 1,496, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.

Two new deaths — one each from Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh — have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double digits till December 5 but it began to increase after the emergence of a new variant, JN.1, and amid cold weather conditions.

After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said.

Of the 1,496 active cases, a large majority (around 92 per cent) are recovering in home isolation.

“The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality,” an official source stated.

India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021.

At its peak, 4,14,188 new cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh have died across the country.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website.

According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country so far.

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday sent around 3.5 tonnes of aid, including medicines, to Zambia to help the country deal with an outbreak of cholera.

Officials said the aid was sent in commercial cargo aircraft.

“Following an outbreak of cholera in Zambia, India today sent humanitarian aid on commercial cargo aircraft,” an official said.

“The aid weighing approximately 3.5 tonnes comprises water purification supplies, chlorine tablets, and hydration in the form of ORS sachets,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Two new deaths — one each from Karnataka and Kerala– have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but they again began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

A single day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said.

Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation.

“The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality,” the sources stated.

India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported in the Delta wave during April-June 2021.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have got infected and over 5.3 lakh people have died across the country due to the infection.

NEW DELHI: India saw a single day rise of 305 new cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 2,439, the health ministry said on Thursday.

Three deaths — one each from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat — have been reported in a span of last 24 hours, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said.

Of the total active cases, around 92 per cent are recovering under home isolation.

“The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 sub-variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality,” the official source stated.

India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the delta wave during April-June 2021.

At its peak, 414,188 new cases and 3915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, there have been more than 4.5 crore people getting infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths in about four years since then across the country.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry’s website.

According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.