Say installing water treatment units is beyond their means
Ice manufacturers have said that they cannot meet the
approved water quality standards for making ice because of the expense
involved in installing water treatment units.
Ice
plants depend on water supplied by tanker lorries or drawn from bore
wells as the water provided by the Kerala Water Authority is grossly
inadequate to meet their needs.
“The ground water may
contain iron, formalin and ammonium at some places and which would find
their way into ice,” said T.G. R. Shenoy, president of the All Kerala
Ice Manufacturers’ Association.
Ice manufacturers
cannot afford to install water filtering and treatment units for
removing impurities. The strict enforcement of the Food Safety Act would
lead to the closure of the ice plants in the State, he said.
The
association launched a strike on Monday protesting against the
crackdown of the Food Safety Authority against the ice plants found
using chemically contaminated water. The authorities had closed down 12
plants in Ernakulam and four in Thrissur.
The
agitation has also hit the harbours of the State and the fishing
industry. The leaders of the association have sought the intervention of
the State government for ironing out the issue.
The
installation of water treatment facilities at ice plants would lead to a
steep hike in ice price. The plants would provide customers the
specific quality ice they need, he said.
At the same
time, water quality experts say that the ice which comes into contact
with food substances, including fish and for direct consumption, shall
only be made using potable water.
According to M.K.
Mukundan, director, Council for Food Development and Research, Konni,
law does not make any distinction regarding the quality of water used
for storing fish and human consumption. Ice manufacturers are supposed
to use only potable water for making ice. The law even specifies that
water used for washing food contact surfaces should be of potable water
standards, Dr. Mukundan said.
A water filtering plant
capable of filtering around one lakh litres a day and consisting of a
sand filter, chlorination unit and a charcoal filter would cost around
Rs.3 lakh, he said.
The district food safety
authorities are awaiting the lab results of ice samples that were
collected earlier from a few ice plants. “The lab results will decide
the future course of action,” said K. Ajithkumar, district Food Safety
Officer.
Water supplied by KWA inadequate to meet needs
Setting up treatment units will increase ice price
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