MEERUT: To keep an eye on the food being prepared at the restaurants and dhabas on the kanwar route, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) has intensified its food sample collection drive along the route. Every year, lakhs of Shiva devotees go to Haridwar on foot with kanwars on their shoulders to fetch Ganga water. They eat food at camps and food joints that fall on the way. The drive has been started to ensure that no substandard food is being served at these places, said officials.
"A huge number of kanwariyas will be passing through the city. Various city-based NGOs, food joints and religious groups will be hosting camps on the route to provide the kanwariyas with food. We don't want any untoward incident to be reported because many people will be consuming the food served at these camps, so sampling of food items and raids have been started," said JP Singh, chief food safety officer, Meerut district, talking to TOI.
Cases have been reported in the past where inedible substances were mixed in prasad, causing health problems to devotees at religious events.
"Checks will be made to detect inedible oil and banned food colours. If any such case is seen, samples will be sent to the food testing laboratory in Lucknow. Also, if the food item looks inedible prima facie, immediate action will be taken against the food joint or dhaba owner," said Singh.
While the results of samples sent to the Lucknow laboratory arrive in a month, the facility of sending the samples to the Meerut lab will also remain open because the latter will be able to give the reports in a week's time.
"We have also issued instructions to the kanwar camp owners so as to ensure that no guidelines are flouted and no stale food is provided during the kanwar yatra, especially because the speed of food deterioration increases in monsoon season. We are also ensuring that no drugs are sold in these camps," said Singh.
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