Vijayawada: Out of around 400 food outlets only 80 have valid FSSAI licences

VIJAYAWADA: Think twice before consuming food at the hotels and restaurants across the city as only 20 percent of the owners have obtained valid licence from the authorities of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), while others have given a go-by to food safety and quality.

In all, the city has around 400 hotels and restaurants including small and medium. Recently, the FSSAI officials in a joint operation with Vigilance and Enforcement department conducted surprise checks at Dolphin and 11 to 11 Restaurant and seized stale chicken and biryani from the respective restaurants. As part of the inspection, the officials also came to know that the Dolphin Restaurant did not have a valid licence from FSSAI for the past five years.

“Several hotels and restaurants are failing to maintain hygienic atmosphere in their kitchens. Consumption of such food items will cause water and food-borne diseases to the public. Some of the ailments include gastroenteritis (food poisoning), cholera, Hepatitis A jaundice, viral and fungal infections, typhoid etc. It is better not to eat food in unhygienic atmosphere,’’ said Ch Hari Kumar, a general physician.

‘’The next time if you witness any unhygienic atmosphere in a hotel kitchen or even if the hotel premises is filthy, just click a photo and share it with the Food Safety Department officials,’’ assistant food safety controller N Purnachandra Rao told TNIE.

Disclosing the procedure to be followed by the traders in obtaining the licence, he said traders whose annual turnover is below Rs 12 lakh, should register with FSSAI. Traders whose annual turnover is between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 20 crore, should obtain State licence and traders whose annual turnover is above Rs 20 crore, should obtain Central licence. Traders who belong to the aforementioned categories can apply for licences either through www.fssai.gov.in or by visiting E-seva centres, Rao informed.

The assistant food controller asked traders to register with food safety officers to obtain licences from the food department. Severe action will be taken against those who sell food items without registration and licences from the department, he said. “Only 20 percent of the hotel and restaurant owners obtained licence from the department, which is a serious violation as per the FSSAI guidelines. As per Section 63 of FSSAI Act, a fine of Rs 5 lakh would be imposed and six months imprisonment would be awarded,’’ Rao added.

In all, the city has around 400 hotels and restaurants including small and medium

As per Section 63 of FSSAI Act, a fine of J5 lakh will be imposed and six months imprisonment will be awarded against the traders who fail to obtain licence

Recently, the FSSAI officials in a joint operation with Vigilance and Enforcement department conducted surprise checks at Dolphin and 11 to 11 Restaurant and seized stale chicken and biryani from the respective restaurants

Food, drug adulteration: It’s time Telugu States act tough to end the evil

Hyderabad, March.7 : One famous Telugu poet had said long back that a match stick, a cake of soap, a puppy and nothing is ineligible to be the subject matter of poetry. In the present day scenario, this can be applied to adulteration –nothing is free from this worst type evil which is playing with the lives of the people, including children and women.

Reports are appearing in the media, frequently since long years about raids by officials and detecting the scourge of adulteration of milk, baby foods, almost all types of food stuffs, vegetables, fruits and even drugs. Whenever such reports appear, the Government (Ministers and Chief Minister) hurls warnings to the manufacturers and dealers of such adulterated items about stern action, cancellation of license, etc. In some cases, some sort of action is taken against the culprits, but such action is not deterring neither the manufacturers nor the dealers, and the game goes on uninterrupted, even while the medical experts are repeatedly warning about the ill-effects of adulteration and the health hazards involved.

Recently, the Minster for Health and Medical Dr C Lakshma Reddy has warned that those who indulge in adulteration of food stuffs would not be tolerated at all, their licences would be cancelled and Preventive Detention (PD) Act would be invoked against the culprits; and the dealers, eating establishment owners should be held responsible for supply of unadulterated food stuffs to the citizens. The Minister, who is a Doctor, said that adulteration of food stuffs is causing serious ailments like cancer, kidney and liver diseases. People will be very happy if the Minister (Government) really takes the matter very seriously and acts tough against the defaulters, to stop the evil and save the people from diseases.

It may be pointed out, however, that adulteration of food stuffs and medicines is going on for several years now and both the Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have failed to curb the evil with an iron hand, in spite of repeated high-sounding warnings and threats. This journalist vaguely remembers a grandiose threat hurled by the Health Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh (K Rajamallu, if my memory is correct) some four decades ago in the State Legislature that, given to himself, he would like to hang drug adulterators to the nearest lamp post, and hit the headlines. Unfortunately enough, no such action is seen till now, and not even deterrent Laws were made to stop the social evil of adulteration.

People in general and medical professionals in particular feel there is urgent need to stop adulteration of food stuffs and drugs enacting a Law providing for highly deterrent by punishment for the culprits, appointment of adequate staff in the departments empowered with enforcement of the laws relating to food safety and also to provide a mechanism to prevent collusion of officials with adulterators. It is said that already States like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha have enacted stringent Laws providing for deterrent punishments including life imprisonment, very high fines for adulteration of food stuffs and drugs. Both the Telugu States would do well to enact such Laws and enforce them strictly to save the people from health hazards. (NSS)

Special teams to inspect hotels

Rajamahendravaram: East Godavari Collector Karthikeya Mishra has directed the officials of food safety, revenue, police, municipality and panchayat raj departments to check the quality of food items in hotels and restaurants by forming special teams across the district.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, the collector said the decision was taken as 32 daily wagers suffered sickness due to food contamination after consuming breakfast in Ramavaram village near Jaggampeta on Tuesday.

Of the total, 11 persons were sent to community health centre in Jaggampeta and five were shifted to government general hospital in Kakinada and two persons undergoing treatment in private hospital, he said and added a medical camp was posted in Ramavaram village and hotels and restaurants in the village were seized. The collector said stern action will be initiated against the respective hotels and restaurant managements if they compromise on quality food.