No more food quality checks

Over-burdened health dept tells Centre it cannot depute its doctors to test food at hotels, eateries

Quality and safety checks at hotels and eateries across the state will take a beating as the health department has decided to withdraw itself from the testing process. Already reeling under severe shortage of doctors at its hospitals, the health department is apparently in no mood to face the music anymore by deputing its already over-burdened doctors to test food at hotels and eateries under the Food Safety and Standards Act — 2006. 

Revealing its decision, the department has dashed off a letter to the Union government to hand over the responsibility of implementing the chore to some other department. Confirming the department's decision, hHealth minister UT Khader told Bangalore Mirror that they are no more interested in testing food and supervising hotels under the Act as they are already facing a severe shortage of doctors. 

"We have already been facing lot of criticism across the state over the shortage of doctors. By deputing our doctors to test food at hotels and eateries, we do not want to burden them further with additional work of supervising under the Food Act. We will only concentrate on providing a healthy environment to people. We have communicated to the Union government to hand over the responsibility to another department like Food and Civil Supplies, which can also check quality," Khader said. 

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, touted to be the ambitious project of the previous UPA government, had received both accolades and criticism from the public and industry stakeholders. The health department too while showing extreme interest in the Act had announced setting up of four regional laboratories across the state for checking quality of food in their jurisdiction. In fact, Khader had then announced that the department would issue health cards to all chefs and cooks of hotels and eateries. 

Against the 377 sanctioned posts for food inspectors, the health department has recruited about 117. According to sources in the health department, about 425 cases of adulteration and 225 cases of misbranding against hotels, eateries and grocery stores were booked across the state in the last four years. Out of the over three lakhs registered hotels and eateries, only about 1,000 establishments registered with the department under the Act. Also, a faction of the industry approached the High Court and obtained a three-month stay over the implementation pertaining to some of the provisions of the Act.