Despite several requests by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra has not appointed a single food inspector to check whether the 200-plus food businesses operating in the satellite city – which include hotels, restaurants and caterers – adhere to the prescribed hygiene norms, and whether the quality of food served in these establishments meets the standards.
Although NMMC's health department has issued the gradation certificate and license to each eatery, it has failed to test the samples of food prepared in their kitchens. Manoj Haldankar, Shiv Sena corporator from Airoli and leader of the opposition in the civic body, confirmed that the city has no food inspectors, because no post of food inspectors has been sanctioned to it, unlike other municipal corporations.
Jagannath Sinnarkar, deputy commissioner, NMMC, said, “As a result, the civic body has to rely on FDA Thane. And this is the reason NMMC and FDA are not able to enforce mandatory hygienic conditions in eateries.”
“There are scores of dhabas operating in Navi Mumbai's rural and urban areas. Even after ensuring safe food, the municipality is unable to ensure the required quality. This is not only because of the absence of food inspectors, but also the fact that the staff is untrained. Moreover, the food samples collected by NMMC's health officials have to be sent to the Institute of Preventive Medicine and other food labs for quality testing, but they are not,” he added.
Dr Ramesh Nikam, municipal officer health (MOH) in-charge, NMMC, said, “We have already made several representations to FDA Maharashtra, apprising them about the need for sanctioning of the posts of food inspector.”
”The department agreed to sanction the posts. But we have been waiting for a long time, and FDA is yet to come up with any concrete solution. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, restaurateurs, mess owners, caterers and even canteen owners have to follow the stringent norms to ensure that the quality of food which is served to the customers is not compromised,” he added.
“The FDA officials have neither collected any samples for the last two years, nor inspected any eatery in the city. The food inspectors are supposed to collect at least two samples every month from each sanitary division in the city,” a source from NMMC, on the condition of anonymity.
A official from Thane FDA, who did not wish to be named, said, “In order to effectively monitor the food samples and hygiene in restaurants and hotels, additional posts should be created and the vacant posts should be filled, otherwise effective checks are not possible. We just have four food inspectors for the entire Thane district. Of these, two were deputed a few months ago. The real cause for concern is that six posts – namely two assistant commissioners' posts and four supervisory posts – are vacant. We expect that one of them would be filled soon.''
He added, “The department routinely conducts inspections. We collect food samples from restaurants and get them tested at public health laboratories in Navi Mumbai and Thane. An inspection report is sent to the corporation which issues licences to the hotels.”
Although NMMC's health department has issued the gradation certificate and license to each eatery, it has failed to test the samples of food prepared in their kitchens. Manoj Haldankar, Shiv Sena corporator from Airoli and leader of the opposition in the civic body, confirmed that the city has no food inspectors, because no post of food inspectors has been sanctioned to it, unlike other municipal corporations.
Jagannath Sinnarkar, deputy commissioner, NMMC, said, “As a result, the civic body has to rely on FDA Thane. And this is the reason NMMC and FDA are not able to enforce mandatory hygienic conditions in eateries.”
“There are scores of dhabas operating in Navi Mumbai's rural and urban areas. Even after ensuring safe food, the municipality is unable to ensure the required quality. This is not only because of the absence of food inspectors, but also the fact that the staff is untrained. Moreover, the food samples collected by NMMC's health officials have to be sent to the Institute of Preventive Medicine and other food labs for quality testing, but they are not,” he added.
Dr Ramesh Nikam, municipal officer health (MOH) in-charge, NMMC, said, “We have already made several representations to FDA Maharashtra, apprising them about the need for sanctioning of the posts of food inspector.”
”The department agreed to sanction the posts. But we have been waiting for a long time, and FDA is yet to come up with any concrete solution. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, restaurateurs, mess owners, caterers and even canteen owners have to follow the stringent norms to ensure that the quality of food which is served to the customers is not compromised,” he added.
“The FDA officials have neither collected any samples for the last two years, nor inspected any eatery in the city. The food inspectors are supposed to collect at least two samples every month from each sanitary division in the city,” a source from NMMC, on the condition of anonymity.
A official from Thane FDA, who did not wish to be named, said, “In order to effectively monitor the food samples and hygiene in restaurants and hotels, additional posts should be created and the vacant posts should be filled, otherwise effective checks are not possible. We just have four food inspectors for the entire Thane district. Of these, two were deputed a few months ago. The real cause for concern is that six posts – namely two assistant commissioners' posts and four supervisory posts – are vacant. We expect that one of them would be filled soon.''
He added, “The department routinely conducts inspections. We collect food samples from restaurants and get them tested at public health laboratories in Navi Mumbai and Thane. An inspection report is sent to the corporation which issues licences to the hotels.”
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