Drastic reduction in malpractices by manufacturers of F&B, says Sankhe

Since the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, came into being on August 5, 2011, manufacturers and retailers of food and beverages in Maharashtra have become extremely careful, stated Kamlesh Sankhe, joint commissioner (food), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra, in an interaction with Abhitash Singh.

Excerpts:

There have been reports alleging that worms are present in certain foods and pieces of plastic floating in a soft-drink bottle. Could you throw some light on this? 

Reports of these kinds have become a thing of the past. Since the implementation of the Food and Safety Standards Act on August 5, 2011, the ambit of our activities has increased, and manufacturers and retailers of food and beverages in Maharashtra have become more than careful. 

The provisions of its predecessor, the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954, only made it possible for the FDA to play a monitoring role. 

What is the aim of FSSA?

FSSA aims at overall improvement in the hygiene of food. It is primarily a promotional act in terms of the quality of food that is being manufactured, distributed and ultimately consumed by the people.

How concerned is FDA Maharashtra about the hygiene of food and the health of people?

FDA Maharashtra is very concerned about the health of every resident of the state, and therefore, the thrust is on safe and hygienic food and beverages being consumed by the people. Right from the manufacturer to the street vendor, anybody dealing with food and beverages is covered under the FSSA.

Nobody can deal without a licence or registration. They have to guarantee that the food is hygienic and safe for consumption. In the last two years, we have noticed that instances of malpractices by food manufacturers and sellers have come down drastically.

What training is FDA Maharashtra imparting to the public?

Useful information to the public, industry and trade is disseminated by the state FDA on a regular basis through meetings, lectures, organisation of seminars, exhibitions, workshops and brainstorming sessions.