Traders still evade Food safety ACT

Amritsar, December 25
Only 450 businessmen, dealing in selling, manufacturing food products, have obtained licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act since March this year. Traders, small vendors, will have to get registered or obtain licences under the Act by February 4, otherwise which their units would be declared illegal, said District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon.

It is believed that there are more than 5,000 small vendors alone in Amritsar.

In the small business category, the department has got responses from 1500 traders. The District Health Officer said, “Another 400 applications are in the process.”

He said the department had taken various initiatives to create awareness among people. “We had organised a number of camps at various places to make things easier for the businessmen. We will again organising a series of such camps before February 4,” he said.

As per the guidelines issued by the state government, businesses with a turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh were required to get registered with the office of the District Health Officer while those with a turnover above Rs 12 lakh were required to obtain a licence, said Kahlon.

The guidelines are binding on those engaged in the activities related to manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, import and catering of food products. Even traders running temporary stalls and karyana stores and selling food ingredients are required to get themselves registered.

Kahlon said the procedure would help the authorities keep an eye on food sellers and manufacturers. The instructions are issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 which came into effect in the state on August 8, 2011.

Deadline is Feb 4

Traders, small vendors, will have to get registered or obtain licences under the Act by February 4, otherwise which their units would be declared illegal, said District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Kahlon