With increasing populations in the cities, food safety has been brought to focus by the State Government. Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy on Saturday in a high-level meeting reviewed the food safety measures in different cities.
Tripathy directed the Housing and Urban Development and Food Safety Commissionerate to take a special drive for creating intensive awareness among the street food vendors and the people. He also directed to educate the food vendors about food safety techniques and make people aware not to take unsafe food.
The CS also stressed on enforcing food safety measures through authorised outsourced agencies.
It was decided that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) would identify the most populous stretches for creation of ‘safe food streets’ in the corporation area on a pilot basis. A proposal for appointment of designated Food Safety Officers in five municipal corporations was also approved at the meeting.
Tripathy directed to put in place an online system for creating a database of the oversight and enforcement activities.
Stating the updates, Food Safety Commissioner Yamini Sadangi appraised that there had been a steady increase in the number of registered food business operators (FBOs) in the State over last three years. The total number of registered FBOs has increased from 5,026 in 2016-17 to 25,822 in 2017-18 and 36,622 in the year 2018-19.
It was revealed that an online registration system for FBOs has been operational since December 2016. The payment of fees and dues as per FSS Act, 2006 has also been made online.
In the year 2018-19, a total number of 327 ‘legal samples’ were picked and tested out of which 92 samples were found either adulterated or misbranded against which 14 criminal and 33 civil cases have been instituted. Besides, a total number of 1599 ‘surveillance samples’ have also been collected principally from the places of public festivals and celebrations out of which 477 samples found adulterated have been fined.
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