Non action on FSSAI direction of fake egg irks consumers in Tripura

In pursuant to the direction of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) when department of elementary education issued alert to schools regarding fake and artificial eggs, the civil supplies of Tripura kept mum over the issue that triggered serious reaction today.

The civil supplies and animal resource development officials today admitted that FSSAI direction regarding fake eggs was reached to them but there was no field level action from their end except processing it in the file.

Similarly, on the issue of ensuring quality of food items, fish, vegetables, fruits, meat, breaker items and sweet the civil supplies department did not have any consistent monitoring mechanism and regular data of food quality.

Civil supplies minister Bhanu Lal Saha said that the department has been randomly checking the food items besides, specific complaints against any item from the consumers. But the food testing laboratory is under the jurisdiction of health department and infrastructure of food testing lab is also not sufficient.

"We are also equally concerned on the apprehension of food quality and taken measures whatever is possible," Saha said adding that the government would thought further to streamline the measures for ensuring quality of food.

According to report, the latest report of random testing of mid-day meal in five schools around Agartala was not indicated the best result in terms of purity and nutrition. But even after a month of getting the report from Agartala Govt Medical College regarding mid-day meal government yet to take any action.

Similarly, Agartala municipal corporation authority have also found the presence of formalin in the fish sold in the market from random sample but yet to take any action. Moreover, there is no campaign by the government against food adulteration and use of lethal chemicals in the food items.

On Nov 23 last, Bimal Kumar Dubey, Director (Regulatory Compliance Division) of FSSAI informed all states food safety commissioners and licensing authority to ensure no production and distribution of fake eggs in the respective states.

"FSSAI has received numerous representations on import of fake/artificial eggs; the issue also got wide coverage in both conventional and social media. The ingredients used in the manufacture of such egg involve use of lethal chemicals, which can cause serious health problem," the FSSAI communiqu said.

Except elementary education department, none take any step to monitor the market and aware the consumers about fake eggs in Tripura. Neither trade bodies nor suppliers were informed nor any hands on information provided to the consumers to identify fake eggs so far in the state.