Officials Cite Lack Of Awareness; Increase Raids In Madurai Shops
An exclusive phone number, launched in 2011 by the food safety department in Ma durai for consumers to file complaints about food adulteration in sweet shops, has failed to reach the target audience with not many issues being brought to light. In 2014 only about 100 calls were received.Officials cite lack of awareness among public about the existence of such a number.
Meanwhile, the department is cracking the whip on sweet shops in the city. During raids conducted in the last one month alone, 14 stores were found to be selling adulterated food items, leading to the closure of two of them.But, officials said that these raids were not based on any complaint received from the number. Food safety officer K Saravanan said, “About 11 shops have been closed during inspection for adulteration in food items and storing food in unhygienic conditions since November 2014.
“With Diwali around the corner, apart from well-known shops, many others, which too receive decent number of orders, tend to capitalise on the situation and adulterate food items. If people come across any such instance they can call up 0452-2640036, but, the department hardly receives any complaints.“
Officials said last year about 100 calls were received, but this year, till November, they have got only 50. “We received 100 complaints from the registered complaint number in 2014, while they came down to 50 this year,“ said Saravanan.
“Many of them are not even aware about the existence of a food safety department in the city ,“ he rued.
However, department officials admitted that this year they gave more importance to monthly inspections at sweet and bakery shops than creating awareness on food adulteration and food selling methods to vendors.
“Last year we conducted several awareness campaigns in schools and colleges. We also conducted meetings for vendors on food selling methods,“ said Saravanan.
“Similarly , complaint numbers of the food safety department were also pasted on the walls, due to which more calls were received last year,“ he said.With only 10 officials on duty in the city, staff crunch was cited as one of the reasons for not carrying out awareness campaigns in schools and colleges.
An exclusive phone number, launched in 2011 by the food safety department in Ma durai for consumers to file complaints about food adulteration in sweet shops, has failed to reach the target audience with not many issues being brought to light. In 2014 only about 100 calls were received.Officials cite lack of awareness among public about the existence of such a number.
Meanwhile, the department is cracking the whip on sweet shops in the city. During raids conducted in the last one month alone, 14 stores were found to be selling adulterated food items, leading to the closure of two of them.But, officials said that these raids were not based on any complaint received from the number. Food safety officer K Saravanan said, “About 11 shops have been closed during inspection for adulteration in food items and storing food in unhygienic conditions since November 2014.
“With Diwali around the corner, apart from well-known shops, many others, which too receive decent number of orders, tend to capitalise on the situation and adulterate food items. If people come across any such instance they can call up 0452-2640036, but, the department hardly receives any complaints.“
Officials said last year about 100 calls were received, but this year, till November, they have got only 50. “We received 100 complaints from the registered complaint number in 2014, while they came down to 50 this year,“ said Saravanan.
“Many of them are not even aware about the existence of a food safety department in the city ,“ he rued.
However, department officials admitted that this year they gave more importance to monthly inspections at sweet and bakery shops than creating awareness on food adulteration and food selling methods to vendors.
“Last year we conducted several awareness campaigns in schools and colleges. We also conducted meetings for vendors on food selling methods,“ said Saravanan.
“Similarly , complaint numbers of the food safety department were also pasted on the walls, due to which more calls were received last year,“ he said.With only 10 officials on duty in the city, staff crunch was cited as one of the reasons for not carrying out awareness campaigns in schools and colleges.
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