(a) Whether the Government is aware that World Health Organisation in its convention has expressed opinion that tinned milk may prove fatal to infants as reported in Nagpur Edition of `Dainik Bhaskar` dated May 27, 2005;
(b) If so, whether the Government proposes to impose ban on tinned milk products in the country; and
(c) if so, the step taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) The 58th World Health Assembly Session of World Health Organization held in May 2005 recognized the need for parents and caregivers to be fully informed of evidence based public health risks of intrinsic contamination of powered infant formula and the potential for introduced contamination, and the need for safe preparation, handling and shorage of prepared infant formula.
(b) & (c) There is no proposal to impose ban on powered infant formula. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1955 prescribes the standard of infant formula which include safety parameters for microbiological contamination and their labeling requirements. The label of the product is required to give statements such as superiority of mother`s milk, need of its use, proper method of its use, instruction for appropriate and hygiene preparation, shorage conditions, feeding chart, instructions for use, and instructions for discarding left over feed etc.