Industries should set aside funds for food safety awareness: Ram Vilas Paswan

"Industry should invest certain percentage in consumer awareness about food safety," said Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, on the first anniversary of 'Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan'Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan said food safety becomes a major concern during festivals. 

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday said the industry should set aside funds to create public awareness about food safety.

The minister said he has also written to state governments and held discussions with street vendor associations to promote safe food.

“Industry should invest certain percentage in consumer awareness about food safety,” Paswan said while addressing an event to celebrate the first anniversary of ‘Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan’ organised by CII.

He also suggested that consumers should have some machines to check adulteration in food products like milk, water and cooking oils as is the case for blood pressure, sugar and fever.

According to Paswan, eradicating food adulteration and assuring food safety during major festivals is one of the major challenges for the his ministry.

“In India, people will not believe that any food product is without adulteration,” Paswan said, adding that the scenario is different in other countries.

On the Maggi ban episode, Paswan said his ministry approached the consumer court soon after it received the report from the food safety authority, sending a message that “this can happen to any company if it has happened to Nestle India”.

In June 2015, food safety regulator FSSAI had banned Maggi noodles after it found excess level of lead in samples. Nestle relaunched Maggi in Indian markets in November 2015.

Speaking at the event, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said the regulator has come out with many standards since 2011, when it became operational, but there is a need for capacity building at the level of states to enforce these standards.

Health Dept teams to inspect food joints

Amritsar, August 12

With the deadline for registration and getting a licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, having ended on August 4, the Health Department has constituted four teams to initiate inspections at business establishments selling eatables in the holy city.

According to figures available with the Health Department as many as 12,000 food businesses have registered and another 1,500 have received licences. According to the Act, a business with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh has to get registered with the department. Those exceeding the limit have to apply for a licence to carry on the business.

As the registration and licence are mandatory for all businesses involved in manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution and import of food items besides catering, the authorities believe that many shops have not yet complied with their instructions.

The District Health Officer, Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon, said after the implementation of the Act in the state on August 8, 2011, the deadline for the registration of applicants was extended many times to give them a chance. “Now our teams will check traders selling food and other eatables. They will be issued show-cause notice if they are not registered or do not have licence,” he said.

Owners of food business without registration or license could be sentenced to six months imprisonment, besides imposing fine upto Rs five lakh, Kahlon said. Areas were distributed among teams, which were instructed to visit each and every food business in their field, he added.

Officials said the Act also covered free distribution of food in langars (community kitchen). Even liquor vends had to obtain licenses. Despite extension of the deadline by the government no liquor vend owner had ever applied for a licence.

The idea of Food Safety and Standard Act was to ensure better quality, besides checking adulteration.

However, the Act incorporated in 2006 became operational in the state after a delay of five years. The registration process took another five years to complete.