Food units in Karnataka to come under mapping exercise of state government

Bengaluru, Feb 22 (KNN) The Karnataka Health System Development and Reform Project (KHSDRP) is keen to strengthen its food safety strategy and enhance regulation of food safety standards in the state by carrying out a mapping exercise and monitoring delivery mechanisms.

To regulate food safety, the Government of India enacted the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006 along with its Rules and Regulations 2011 for food products at different stages on scientific basis.

“With an intention to expedite the implementation of FSSA and Rules effectively within the time frame, KHSDRP, under additional financing, has agreed to establish a “Food Safety Cell” with support of a Food Safety Consultant, a legal consultant and data entry operator in the office of the Food Safety Commissioner,” said KHSDRP.

In this context, it wants to hire professionals to conduct a baseline survey and mapping of food business units in Karnataka under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006.

The Food Safety Consultant would support the implementation of the Food Safety strategy of the KHSDRP. She/he would support implementation, management and monitoring of activities planned under agreed strategies for enhancing regulation of the food safety standards in the state of Karnataka.

The project would involve facilitating registration and licensing, building capacity of and upgrading the existing food laboratories in the state, developing IEC strategy and materials to create awareness of both small and large FBOs in the state of their rights and responsibilities under the Statutory Act and strengthening the oversight mechanisms for compliance with safety standards.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) has been assigned the responsibility of the implementation of the FSSA ACT through the Food Safety Commissioner.

Review Food Safety Act: HC

While asking the government if it is willing to reconsider some of the provisions of The Food Safety and Standards Act 2011, the High Court on Friday observed that it might be difficult for hoteliers to establish laboratories to periodically test the food supplied by them. 

Justice A N Venugopal Gowda said, “Even star hotels in the country have not set up laboratories to test the food that is being supplied by them. How is it practically possible for small hoteliers to establish laboratories or to get the food supplied by them tested periodically? Has the government established enough laboratories to test the food supplied in hotels? The government should think of doing things that are practical, to ensure good quality food is supplied in hotels, and improve on it later on.”

While narrating an anecdote to describe the quality of food supplied in some hotels, Justice Gowda said, “We found a cockroach in sambar when I visited a hotel along with my wife 20 years ago, and I have not visited that hotel ever since. There should some mechanism to ensure that the quality of food supplied by hotels is good.” 

The solicitor general submitted before the court that it would be difficult for the common man to demand quality food despite paying for it unless the Act was implemented in its entirety. 

Hoteliers comply with similar provisions when they open hotels abroad. But they oppose it when such rules are enacted in India, he added. 

Justice Gowda directed the petitioners to specify the provisions that they are finding difficult to comply with, instead of opposing the Act in its entirety, during the next hearing, and adjourned the case.