Food Stalls violating FDA rules, unhygienic conditions at KTC Canteen at Margao bus stand

GOACAN recently conducted an inspection of the Food stalls and Canteen located at the KTC Busstand Margao after receiving complaints from consumers that food items were being sold in violation of the rules prescribed by Directorate of Food & Drug Administration (DFDA) and the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

GOACAN found that food items like samosas etc. were being sold without proper covering to prevent flies from sitting on them while packaged food items like chakkli etc. are being brought from Udipi (Karnataka) without having the proper address and DFDA / FSSAI licence while the seller displayed the TIN number as that to be Registration under DFDA / FSSAI licence.

Packaged food items originating from Borim, Ponda were being sold without the mandated DFDA / FSSAI licence while various other food items like coconut sweets and puranpolli are being sold in sealed packets without any label showing the name, address, date of manufacture & expiry and even the MRP.

GOACAN found that food items like rice plate / meals were being served in a dining room which is not clean & tidy while these meals were being prepared in a kitchen under unhygienic conditions. Rain water which was leaking from the roof of the kitchen was falling in the vessels while rice plate/meals were being cooked. While the rooms where the raw materials were being stored and the vegetables cut were maintained in unhygienic conditions and the staff undertaking the cooking in the kitchen were not using proper clothing as

required under the DFDA / FSSAI rules.

GOACAN has sent a letter to Mr. Salim Veljee, Director, Directorate of Food & Drug Admin (DFDA) stating that as the food stalls & canteen have a prime location at the KTC bus stand they get customers who are drivers, conductors and the general public which gives them good business. GOACAN has further pointed out this prime location cannot be used by these stall owners & canteen contractor to sell food items and provide meals to consumers by not following the Food Safety laws as prescribed by the DFDA / FSSAI.

GOACAN has further stated that although these issues were highlighted in 2010 through complaints and joint inspections by officials from various departments the situation has not improved.

GOACAN has called on the DFDA to protect the interests of consumers by taking the necessary steps so that a solution may be found by 15th August. Copies of the letter have been sent to the Collector (South) & Chairperson District Consumer Protection Council, Dy. Collector (Margao), Director, Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Controller, Department of Legal Metrology and Managing Director, Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd.