News
Conditional permission for Thriposha products
… permitted value of Aflatoxins raised
The government has lifted the ban on providing Thriposha products for children. The ban was imposed late last year after finding Aflatoxins in one of its ingredients above permissible levels.
Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena has told the Parliamentary Caucus for Children that the Ministry has given permission to restart the production of Thriposha provided to children between the ages of 06 months to 03 years.
Acting Director Communications (Parliament) Jayalath Perera quoted Dr. Gunawardena as having told the Parliamentary Caucus for Children that Thriposha would be provided to children with identified nutritional requirements. MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne chaired the meeting.
Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on agricultural crops such as maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. Corn is one of the ingredients in Thriposha.
The production of Thriposha was suspended after tests revealed that Aflatoxin in Thriposha were above permissible levels. Initially, the government denied media reports but later confirmed higher and unacceptable levels of Aflatoxin in Thriposha. The issue has been raised in Parliament.
Aflatoxins should be less than 1 part to a billion, according to the Health Ministry. The DGHS has emphasised that the Ministry accepted and approved Aflatoxin value up to 5 in Thriposha to cater to the needs of children between the ages of 06 months to 03 years with nutritional needs.
Thriposha is provided under the Maternal and Child Health Programme implemented by the Ministry of Health as a supplementary food for children with low nutritional level from 06 months to 03 years of age and as an additional nutrient for pregnant and lactating mothers.
Officials of Lanka Thriposha told the Caucus that the company could produce another nutritional food from rice, instead of Thriposha. However, a different type of milling machine is required for that purpose, they told the grouping, while estimating the machine would cost about Rs 400 mn.
The Parliament quoted them as having claimed that they could secure Rs 200 mn through the World Food Programme if the governemnt was willing to provide the balance requirement.MP Wijeratne has assured that she would bring up the issue to the notice of the relevant officials. (SF)
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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