Raj yet to react to FSSAI alert on food & water adulteration

JAIPUR: Following complains of adulteration and labeling violations, the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) of India has released a nationwide alert on milk, water and edible oil packs. Though it has clearly asked the states to increase surveillance, Rajasthan is yet to react to the central call.

FSSAI is a central food safety regulator which has put milk, packaged drinking water and edible oils under its scanner and have urged various states to "increase surveillance" on these products.

According to sources, earlier labelling violations had been seen in some of the items. "We have issued directives to the food commissioners across the country to collect more samples of these products and send them for comprehensive testing. The directive is not just for a specific brand," said an official.

However, the state public health and food safety department is not yet clear on how to go about it.

"I am yet to go through the directives of FSSAI and after seeing it we will certainly chalk out the modalities," said BR Meena, director, public health, food and safety.

Sources said that in some time the random samples of edible oils, milk and water would be taken from various places. "If such directives have come from FSSAI, we will certainly abide by them and start collecting the samples," said a senior officer.

In Rajasthan, the campaigns against food adulteration is only confined to the festivals, as ahead of festivals, officials collect samples but seldom the reports of tests are made public.

It may be recalled that sounding a countrywide alert on adulteration of food commodities, the central food safety regulator has to collect more samples of these products and send them for comprehensive testing, the official said, adding, the directives were given to food safety enforcement agencies in a recent meeting.

"State food departments have been asked to be more vigilant and to increase surveillance activities, especially on milk, water and edible oil. Serious violations of labeling requirements have been observed," the official said.

To create consumer awareness on food adulteration, FSSAI has also directed food inspectors to keep a close watch on products that are consumed in "huge quantities" by large segments of the population.