Administration to focus on curbing food adulteration

Mansa, January 18: Vowing to curb the food adulteration the district administration of Mansa has started creating awareness among the all concerned with selling of food products and food items. The health authorities and the district administration along with the ADC (General) Isha Kalia as chief guest, met a number of businessmen, shopkeepers, grocery store owners, street vendors and others at the Bachat Bhawan on Friday and instructed the Health Department while motivating sellers to keep a check on food adulteration.

Raising concerns about the health of the public, ADC, (General), Mansa, also requested each of the shopkeepers, milkmen, dairy owners, and others who sell food items to always give priority to health of consumer.

Earlier, Mansa ADC (General) had imposed heavy fines on those found guilty for selling substandard food. He collcted fine of total Rs 5 lakh in two months in Mansa. As adjudication officer, the ADC, Mansa, in July 2014, held three accused guilty of adulteration and imposed fine of Rs 25,000 each.

In June 2014, Satpal Kumar of Budhlada was imposed a fine after being found guilty of selling substandard milk. To increase the fat in the milk, the accused, running the dairy, used to add some powder in milk meant for consumers.

A fine of Rs 2 lakh was imposed to defaulter whereas in May, the ADC (G) imposed a fine of Rs 4.5 lakh to total four defaulters in separate cases.

“Health should not be compromised at any cost and thus, all people attached directly or indirectly with the business of food items are being motivated to give priority to health of consumers. The awareness about the Food and Safety Act was also made so that the defaulters, if any, committing the crime of food adulteration would be booked under different sections of the IPC besides being imposed a fine.”

Dr Ranjit Singh Rai, Mansa District Health Officer, said, “Food adulteration is smudge on our system and it should be curbed. Nobody has the right to play with the health of the public while the defaulters who are selling the substandard food would have face severe action. All such defaulters would be booked under different sections of the Food Safety Act 2006 and fines would be imposed on them.”