77 meat stalls issued notices to suspend ops

PANJIM: Around 77 meat stalls in North and South Goa have been issued notices for operating without valid registrations and licences and given 10 days’ time to comply with all the Food and Drugs Administration formalities, officials said.

The stall owners have been directed to stop their activities during this period and take corrective measures and ensure proper sanitation and hygienic practices. 

Food Safety Officers and Senior Food Safety Officers of the Directorate of Food & Drugs Administration carried out inspections in around 58 meat shops in South Goa and around 19 meat shops in North Goa.

The FDA says that almost all these 77 meat stalls did not have any food safety registration/licences and have been issued notices to comply with all Department documentation formalities within 10 days including obtaining the local bodies/municipality NOCs/approvals, as well as Health NOCs before applying for FDA’s food safety registration/licences.

Under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Rules/Regulation 2011, all retail meat shops as well as slaughter houses are required to obtain a specific FSSAI registration/licence under the law and the regulation which outline specific sanitary and hygienic conditions to be complied with by such meat outlets.

These conditions include that the meat shops have to be away from an undesirable foul odour, smoke, dust; should be fitted with non-corroding and no-rusting equipment; should have continuous water supply as well as hot water through geysers so that the meat shops can be cleaned during the operation and at the completion of the day’s business.

During the inspection of meat shops, the FDA observed that the infrastructure provided by the local bodies at their respective market places is inadequate. The Department said that it would take up the matter with the concerned municipalities to ensure that minimum facilities are made available to ensure proper sanitation and hygiene at such meat shops.

As a result of this exercise, the Directorate will also conduct special workshop/training programmes to create awareness amongst meat stall vendors on the conduct of their business to comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The 77 meat shops were inspected at the Panjim market, Porvorim, Merces, Bambolim, St Inez in North Goa and SGPDA market in Margao, Rawanfond and Gogol in Salcete area and in Vasco and Sanguem.

Inspections will also be carried out in Mapusa, Bicholim, Pernem, Valpoi, Quepem, Canacona, etc in the next few days so that all the main areas are covered in the first phase and meat vendors are sensitized about the requirements of the law.