Q: What are the challenges before the food safety department?
A: For starters, we need more manpower. We also need a state-of-the-art laboratory where food samples can be tested. The Kamrup (Metro) district is the first in the state to take up the initiative of checking the unnatural way of ripening fruits like bananas.
Q: As the district nodal officer of the tobacco control cell, what obstacles are you facing?
A: Law cannot ban cigarettes and 'gutkha', but it can control their sale and distribution. Another challenge is the ban on the sale of tobacco products in the vicinity of educational institutions. The problem is, most of the educational institutions are located in thickly-populated areas, and some of the shops have been there for years. This is an aspect that needs to be looked into carefully. Fighting the tobacco lobby is itself a big challenge.
Q: What are the current projects that you are working on?
A: The state government wants us to work on adulterated mustard and drum oil. I also want to look into adulterated milk. About 26 restaurants and hotels have been served improvement notices as they were serving substandard cottage cheese (paneer), substandard spices and using low quality mawa for sweets and desserts.
Q: How effective have been the raids?
A: We can say we have been able to control about 60% cases of premature ripening of fruits like bananas. We need to keep a close watch and monitor illegal traders. Restaurants and faulty bottling plants have been served with improvement notices.
Q: How dangerous is the consumption of artificially-ripened bananas, unsafe bottled water and other adulterated food products?
A: Carbide-ripened bananas can lead to cancerous development as the products used are carcinogenic in nature. Regular consumption can lead to stomach and other problems. As for packaged drinking water, samples have showed the presence of metal and bacteria.
Q: How can you identify an artificially-ripened banana?
A: They glow and have a uniform hue. They look very, very bright and tempting. If an artificially-ripened banana and a naturally-ripened banana are placed on a platter, we can easily identify the bad one. But vendors take full advantage of people's ignorance and take them for a ride.
Q: For how long has this illegal business been going on?
A: The illegal business has been on for quite some time. There are some traders who are coming from outside to do trade here.
A few have been booked and cases have been registered against them. The district administration asked us to conduct special drives against such traders. On the basis of information provided, we caught traders indulging in this unlawful act.
A week ago, we conducted a raid at a godown at Hangarabari Road, Ganashguri. We collected a sample of calcium carbide used for ripening. We seized bananas worth approximately Rs 25,000 that were being ripened using the chemical.
The produce was destroyed in the dumping ground of GMC at Gorchuk. The raid was conducted along with Tarun Das, senior food safety officer, and was led by L R Nampui, designated officer of Kamrup (Metro) district.
Q: Besides bananas, the department was also responsible for stalling production of a so-called safe packaged drinking water...
A: It all began with a survey of six facilities in the city responsible for providing safe drinking water. We found six brands flouting norms and their samples were sent to laboratories.
Harmful content was found in the water and, based on the findings, the factories were closed. The water was found unfit for drinking. Most of these brands are quite popular in the market.
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