Jammu, September 8
While a campaign has been initiated by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) against adulteration and serving of unhygienic food to the consumers for the last three months, no steps have been taken to conduct necessary health checks on persons preparing and serving food to the consumers.
Under the Food Safety Act-2006, health check-up is mandatory to ensure that the staff working at the eating points don’t suffer from any infectious or skin disease.
The Municipal Corporation is organising awareness camps at different markets to inculcate in people associated with the food business the need to maintain cleanliness, but no strict action is taken against the violators.
Most of the people working in the eateries and eating points on roads belong to areas outside the state or rural areas and no steps are being taken to keep record of their medical health nor is any record of the traders engaged being submitted to the officials.
“There are thousands of persons working in hotels, restaurants, dhabas and other eateries who come into direct contact with the foodstuffs, but there is no way to detect whether they suffer from any disease. It is the civic body's duty”, said Sukesh Sharma, a Marketing Executive.
About a year back, the Municipal Corporation asked eateries to submit “fitness for work” certificate following concern being expressed by various NGOs and government agencies that people were getting low quality and unhygienic food in the city.
Municipal Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma said they are creating awareness among the owners of food joints. "We are inspecting hygienic condition of the premises but educating the food operators regarding food safety act. Whenever we have pointed out the problems, owners of eateries have assured us they will take appropriate steps,” said Dr Sharma.
The health officer said it had already been decided to put a ban on issuance or renewal of the licence without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that the these food-sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness in order to pursue their trade.
Meanwhile, a third awareness camp was organised at the JMC which was attended by manufacturing units (owner of flour mills, rice mills and spices grinders etc). The attendees were directed to maintain proper hygienic conditions in their manufacturing as well as storage units.
While a campaign has been initiated by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) against adulteration and serving of unhygienic food to the consumers for the last three months, no steps have been taken to conduct necessary health checks on persons preparing and serving food to the consumers.
Under the Food Safety Act-2006, health check-up is mandatory to ensure that the staff working at the eating points don’t suffer from any infectious or skin disease.
The Municipal Corporation is organising awareness camps at different markets to inculcate in people associated with the food business the need to maintain cleanliness, but no strict action is taken against the violators.
Most of the people working in the eateries and eating points on roads belong to areas outside the state or rural areas and no steps are being taken to keep record of their medical health nor is any record of the traders engaged being submitted to the officials.
“There are thousands of persons working in hotels, restaurants, dhabas and other eateries who come into direct contact with the foodstuffs, but there is no way to detect whether they suffer from any disease. It is the civic body's duty”, said Sukesh Sharma, a Marketing Executive.
About a year back, the Municipal Corporation asked eateries to submit “fitness for work” certificate following concern being expressed by various NGOs and government agencies that people were getting low quality and unhygienic food in the city.
Municipal Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma said they are creating awareness among the owners of food joints. "We are inspecting hygienic condition of the premises but educating the food operators regarding food safety act. Whenever we have pointed out the problems, owners of eateries have assured us they will take appropriate steps,” said Dr Sharma.
The health officer said it had already been decided to put a ban on issuance or renewal of the licence without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that the these food-sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness in order to pursue their trade.
Meanwhile, a third awareness camp was organised at the JMC which was attended by manufacturing units (owner of flour mills, rice mills and spices grinders etc). The attendees were directed to maintain proper hygienic conditions in their manufacturing as well as storage units.
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