DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

Food Safety Act remains on paper in Mysuru?

Less than 10% of food operators in Mysuru city and other parts of the district have availed themselves of the mandatory Food Safety Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, which came into effect six years ago.

Lack of awareness about the FSSA (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body under FSSA) and enforcement were cited as the main reasons for sluggish implementation of the provisions. Like how a trade licence from the Mysusu City Corporation was availed, it is mandatory for vendors to get a licence from FSSAI as well.

Besides roadside eateries, restaurants and star hotels are supposed to have an FSSAI licence. A penalty ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹5 lakh can be imposed on those flouting the norms, according to the authorities here.

The Food Safety and Standards Act came into force in 2011 and the Centre gave time for the food manufacturers till August 2016 to register and get the licences. The time for registration was extended progressively and made mandatory for the food operators to register from August 2016.

S. Chidambara, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority, Mysuru told The Hindu that just 10% of the food manufacturers across the district have taken the Food Safety Licence.

In Mysuru city alone, there were over 11,000 food operators — from star hotels to roadside eateries. If the food operators from the district were included, the number may go up to 20,000, he added.

The licence fee ranges from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 depending on the size of the food business and the annual turnover. A one-time fee of ₹100 was collected at the time of registration.

Above five-star hotels were supposed to register directly with the Centre and hotels less than three stars can be registered within the State, he explained.

Dr. Chidambara said registration can be done on the FSSAI website. “We are launching a campaign soon to educate operators about the Act and the need for registration and licence,” he said.

For effective implementation of the Act, the city alone required 15 food safety officers — one officer for three wards, but there are only two food officers though the number of sanctioned posts was three, sources in the department said. Food safety officers will be posted soon to the vacant posts for effective implementation, he said.

Gutka, khaini secretly sold in roadside shops

Ineffective ban:Sale of gutka and other banned chewable tobacco products goes unchecked at many places in Nellore. 

Smuggled from neighbouring States, they are bought by addicts at a premium

Chewable tobacco products like gutka and khaini have long been banned but are still being manufactured, transported and sold secretly at many roadside tea stalls and pan shops here.

Though sellers are demanding far higher rates for these, addicted sections of the society are not stopping to buy them .

Stock points

Some traders bring the tobacco parcels on a daily basis from the neighbouring States of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In most cases, they are brought hidden under clothes and groceries.

Gutka and khaini packets transported from other States are usually stocked at secret points in Stonehousepet and Nartaki centre.

Only a handful of traders are now dealing with these products in wholesale, as its transportation and sale has become risky after the ban was imposed. Many tea stalls selling them,stop the sale now and then to get away from the officials when raids are conducted.

SC order

These ready-to-consume tobacco and betel nut mixes are banned under the Food Safety and Regulation (Prohibition) Act 2011.

The Supreme Court ordered the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to prohibit all such items in view of the larger health interests of the people.

Asian Athletics Championships: Inspectors to check athletes' food

BHUBANESWAR: To provide safe and healthy food to more than 1,000 delegates and athletes who will come to the Smart City for Asian Athletics Championships, the state government has decided to deploy food safety officers and supervisors.

Following the government's direction, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has assigned six food safety officers and equal number of supervising officers to inspect the cooked and packaged foods.

The food inspectors will take samples of food from hotels, shopping malls, fast food joints, fruits and vegetable vendors and cooked food for athletes at Kalinga Stadium. A dedicated officer will be deployed at Kalinga Stadium to take sample of the food prepared during the meet. Other officers have been assigned zones to inspect food at hotels and guest houses where the athletes will be put up apart from taking random samples of food from street joints and other eateries.

The food safety supervisors include the enforcement officer of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), three deputy commissioners of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, a deputy food commissioner and a deputy secretary of the home department. "Mobile squads will be formed to check the quality of food. The officers will report their joining from July 1. They will submit the inspection report on a daily basis to supervising officers and food safety commissioner," said an officer of BMC.

The food samples will be taken for test to the laboratory of public health and engineering organization. The tourism department had run an awareness campaign among the hoteliers regarding serving of quality food to the foreign delegates. A Whatsapp group has been created among the assigned officers to share information among them regarding the food arrangement and safety issues, said the officer.

The city has around 1,100 roadside eateries and 400 small and big hotels. Since some pockets of the city have reported jaundice due to contaminated water, the food safety officers will also take samples of water used by the street food vendors. For Puri, where lakhs of devotees will congregate from the day of Rath Yatra to 'Bahuda', the food safety commissioner has been asked by the health department to take adequate food safety measures.

ஜவ்வரிசியில் கலப்படம் தடுக்க 'ஜெட் பம்ப்' அகற்ற கோரிக்கை

சேலம்: ஜவ்வரிசியில், மக்காச்சோள கலப்படம் தடுக்க, ஆலைகளில் பயன்படுத்தும் ஜெட் பம்பை பறிமுதல் செய்ய, விவசாயிகள் வேண்டு கோள் விடுத்துள்ளனர். இதுகுறித்து, தமிழக விவசாயிகள் சங்க மாநில பொதுச் செயலர் சுந்தரம் கூறியதாவது: சேலம், நாமக்கல் மாவட்ட சேகோ ஆலைகளில், ஜவ்வரிசியில் மக்காச்சோளம் கலக்க, பிரத்யேக பிரஷர் மோட்டார் பம்ப்ஸ் (ஜெட் பம்ப்) உபயோகப்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம், மின் பொறியாளர்கள் அடங்கிய குழு அமைத்து, சோதனை மேற்கொண்டு, ஜெட் பம்ப்களை பறிமுதல் செய்து, கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். அது இல்லையெனில், ஜவ்வரிசியில் கலப்படம் செய்ய முடியாது. 

குறிப்பாக, எந்த உரிமமும் இல்லாத ஆலைகளில், ஜெட் பம்ப் உபயோகப்படுத்துவதால், அத்தகைய ஆலைகளை கண்டறிந்து, அவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்து, மின் இணைப்பை துண்டிக்க வேண்டும். அதற்கான நடவடிக்கையை மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் மேற்கொண்டு, நியாயமான ஆலை உரிமையாளர்கள், தொழில் செய்ய உதவ வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.