Kerala keeps tabs on bulk food buyers

Officials to ascertain quality of all goods being procured.

It was decided that since several trucks are coming from the neighbouring states, especially Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, there is an urgent need to keep a tab on them which are carrying variety of food items other than fruits and vegetables

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After keeping a periodic check at various checkposts in the state to seize pesticide-laden vegetables that come from across the border, food safety officials have decided to track vehicle operators and also buyers in the state who procure fruits/vegetables/fish and dried fish. The aim of the food safety officials is to track buyers in the state who are relying on business enterprises in the neighbouring states and to ascertain the quality of the stuff they are receiving.

It was at a recent meeting of food safety officials that its commissioner Dr Navjyoth Khosa decided to enforce their mechanism and also broaden its horizons. It was decided that since several trucks are coming from the neighbouring states, especially Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, there is an urgent need to keep a tab on them which are carrying variety of food items other than fruits and vegetables. During the recent session of the Legislative Assembly, legislators had raised lots of questions during the Question Hour as well as through submissions on various steps taken by the agriculture and food safety departments to ensure quality.

“At the same time, we wanted to know the buyer and the seller’s details. We can’t prosecute the seller as he might be belonging to a different state where we can inform the food safety authorities there. But we might be able to enlighten the buyer in Kerala on the quality of the product he is getting from across the border,” Ms Khosa told this newspaper. She has also demanded that surveillance and statutory samples of all the food items have to be checked which are coming to the state.

The samples of fish and dried fish have to be checked at Central Institute of Fisheries Technology and the statutory samples at the labs belonging to food safety department. At the same time, Ms Khosa has also urged that the outlets of food business operators in the state have to undergo checking so as to ascertain whether they have got the requisite licence and registration. Currently the state food safety department has got two mobile labs and is being put in to rigorous use for testing of pesticides in fruits and vegetables.