HYDERABAD: Slack enforcement of laws and reluctance of the state government to crack down on food safety violators have reached an alarming level in the city, say experts, at a time when several popular food chains were found to be dishing out unsafe and unhygienic eatables across the city.
Last month, Swiss major Nestle was forced to pull out its flagship brand Maggi from the Indian market after a series of tests found high levels of lead and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) across the country. While authorities put their foot down, despite Nestle explaining that its hugely popular two-minute noodles was absolutely safe, the ban sparked a nationwide outrage.
Since then, several milk brands tested by the Telangana State Food Laboratory have revealed the presence of pathogens salmonella and E Coli bacteria, while tests conducted on food samples collected from a popular fast food chain revealed they were not advisable for human consumption, particularly for children.
While recent developments have raised fears among denizens on the quality of food dished out at restaurants and fast food outlets, many have asked why the government has gone quiet and is not taking any action?
"I am clueless and hoping the government will take some action. I have stopped taking milk from the vendor and instead am giving my children soya milk. My doctor tells me that even several child nutrition supplements are not safe for kids," said Priyanka Kalra, a techie who recently moved to Hi-Tec City with her family.
While people continue to ask why the government has not banned such unsafe products from the market -- when its own lab has raised questions about its safety levels — health activists blame it entirely on the lack of political will to take action against big businesses.
"Big companies, before entering the Indian market, obtain necessary permission from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). But the problem arises once they begin opening thousands of outlets across the country and slowly start compromising on standards and quality control," says Sujata Stephen, a leading health activist and nutritionist.
In several instances, according to Stephen, fast food chains have employed staff who compromise on hand hygiene, leading to contamination of food they serve to customers.
Activists also say inspections are hardly carried out and despite complaints, municipal authorities choose to ignore on more than one occasion. "Food inspectors are either bribed or restaurants get advance information about raids," she added.
Food inspectors, however, disagree, citing a number of reasons behind the delay in taking action. The two principal ones are: A serious shortage of food inspectors and inordinate delays in court cases.
GHMC has only four food inspectors who are not only tasked with checking food items in restaurants and conducting regular raids but are also drafted into other work, including property tax collection.
The scenario is no different in other metros. For instance, national capital New Delhi has only 12 inspectors, while the ideal number should be 32 in order to cover the length and breadth of the city. "We receive 50-60 serious complaints a month, which must be looked into immediately. But I don't have enough men to do the job and have been trying to convince the government that we need more," Delhi food commissioner KK Jindal told STOI.
Jindal also said that the laws are strong enough, but it was up to the authorities to ensure that cases are speeded up and punishment is served according to the nature of crime. "It ultimately does boil down to law-enforcement," he added.
According to the law, seized food items are categorized under three main groups after exhaustive testing is done in labs across the country. In case of misbranding and sub-standard items, a complaint is lodged with the revenue department, and the punishment can only be in the form of monetary penalty. But once a sample falls under 'unsafe' category, a case is filed in a court of law where the punishment is imprisonment. But legal experts and activists say cases drag on for years and justice gets delayed due to endless appeals and counter appeals -- making prompt delivery of punishment impossible.
"We need very strong enforcement and more proactiveness by the government. We are doing the government's job for the last five years and my experience, despite efforts, has been bitter," said Achyuta Rao, member of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Last month, Swiss major Nestle was forced to pull out its flagship brand Maggi from the Indian market after a series of tests found high levels of lead and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) across the country. While authorities put their foot down, despite Nestle explaining that its hugely popular two-minute noodles was absolutely safe, the ban sparked a nationwide outrage.
Since then, several milk brands tested by the Telangana State Food Laboratory have revealed the presence of pathogens salmonella and E Coli bacteria, while tests conducted on food samples collected from a popular fast food chain revealed they were not advisable for human consumption, particularly for children.
While recent developments have raised fears among denizens on the quality of food dished out at restaurants and fast food outlets, many have asked why the government has gone quiet and is not taking any action?
"I am clueless and hoping the government will take some action. I have stopped taking milk from the vendor and instead am giving my children soya milk. My doctor tells me that even several child nutrition supplements are not safe for kids," said Priyanka Kalra, a techie who recently moved to Hi-Tec City with her family.
While people continue to ask why the government has not banned such unsafe products from the market -- when its own lab has raised questions about its safety levels — health activists blame it entirely on the lack of political will to take action against big businesses.
"Big companies, before entering the Indian market, obtain necessary permission from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). But the problem arises once they begin opening thousands of outlets across the country and slowly start compromising on standards and quality control," says Sujata Stephen, a leading health activist and nutritionist.
In several instances, according to Stephen, fast food chains have employed staff who compromise on hand hygiene, leading to contamination of food they serve to customers.
Activists also say inspections are hardly carried out and despite complaints, municipal authorities choose to ignore on more than one occasion. "Food inspectors are either bribed or restaurants get advance information about raids," she added.
Food inspectors, however, disagree, citing a number of reasons behind the delay in taking action. The two principal ones are: A serious shortage of food inspectors and inordinate delays in court cases.
GHMC has only four food inspectors who are not only tasked with checking food items in restaurants and conducting regular raids but are also drafted into other work, including property tax collection.
The scenario is no different in other metros. For instance, national capital New Delhi has only 12 inspectors, while the ideal number should be 32 in order to cover the length and breadth of the city. "We receive 50-60 serious complaints a month, which must be looked into immediately. But I don't have enough men to do the job and have been trying to convince the government that we need more," Delhi food commissioner KK Jindal told STOI.
Jindal also said that the laws are strong enough, but it was up to the authorities to ensure that cases are speeded up and punishment is served according to the nature of crime. "It ultimately does boil down to law-enforcement," he added.
According to the law, seized food items are categorized under three main groups after exhaustive testing is done in labs across the country. In case of misbranding and sub-standard items, a complaint is lodged with the revenue department, and the punishment can only be in the form of monetary penalty. But once a sample falls under 'unsafe' category, a case is filed in a court of law where the punishment is imprisonment. But legal experts and activists say cases drag on for years and justice gets delayed due to endless appeals and counter appeals -- making prompt delivery of punishment impossible.
"We need very strong enforcement and more proactiveness by the government. We are doing the government's job for the last five years and my experience, despite efforts, has been bitter," said Achyuta Rao, member of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment