Nov 1, 2018
FDA has just 10 officers to ensure food safety of over 60L people
Nashik: While food articles are on sale in every lane and bylane, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has just 10 food safety officers for the entire district to ensure that these food items are not sub-standard and are safe for consumption.
While all there are vacant post of these officers in the district, the number of food safety officers has not increased for decades.
“The number of food safety officers have been the same ever since the office came into existence decades ago. In Nashik district, initially there were 12 posts, which were reduced to 10 sometime back,” said food safety officer.
The officer added, “With changing times, the population has increased, markets have increased, new varieties of food products have arrived in the market, and different items are produced from a same fruit or vegetable. The food safety officers cannot be everywhere and no food seller of producer, however small or big, can be given the benefit of doubt.”
The officers said when they conducted a raid at some place, they were alone to seize the goods, arrange a vehicle for transporting it to the office and make the report and send it to the senior officer. The pressure for taking action against those selling or producing sub-standard products for consumption is constant.
The officers said that given the population of the district, there should be at least 50 food safety officers in Nashik and every officer should have three assistants.
Chandrashekhar Salunke, joint director, FDA (food) Nashik said, “It is a fact that the number of posts are less. However, all sanctioned posts are filled and we are duty bound to ensure that citizens get only pure and unadulterated food and other items. We are making the best use of the available officers to provide quality service to the citizens.”
Only four percent of Panaji’s food handlers maintain hygiene
PANAJI: The next time you eat out beware. Personal hygiene among food handlers in the capital city is “sub-standard” with only 4% following correct hand washing practices against a startling 23.8% not washing hands even after passing urine, a research study conducted by the Goa Medical College’s department of preventive and social medicine has found.
The findings of the research titled ‘A study of personal hygiene among food handlers in Panaji city, Goa’ were published in the latest edition of the International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health.
Reseachers Saili S Pradhan, Jagadish A Cacodcar and Nikhil S Akarkar interviewed two hundred and twenty seven participants across 12 food establishments in six different categories registered under the Corporation of the City of Panaji over a period of 18 months, between September 2015 and February 2017. The majority of participants (63%) were youth and (97%) males.
The picture that emerged from the findings of the study revealed shockingly poor hygiene levels among the food handlers. While hand hygiene is of utmost importance, a majority of them did not report correct hand washing practices post urination and post defecation before handling food. They also failed on the counts of maintaining clean nails and using gloves and head caps.
Only 4% followed correct hand washing practices though 40.9% reported washing with water and soap, while “23.8% of the study participants did not report washing hands after passing urine, 31.3% reported washing with water only”.
According to the study, usage of head caps while cooking was found only among 28.6% of the food handlers, 30.8% had clean nails at the time of examination and 33.9% used gloves at the workplace.
It was further observed that only 16.7% had good personal hygiene as against 33.9% who had poor personal hygiene.
The study observed that there was significant association between the personal hygiene of the study participants and the training received in food safety.
“These findings emphasise the importance of pre-employment training and periodic training in personal hygiene and food safety to be given to the food handlers. The findings of this study indicate that it is essential to create awareness among the food handlers regarding importance of maintaining good personal hygiene and food hygiene so as to ensure food safety,” the study stated.
Two food labs to ensure safety
The Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety has appointed six analysts at the two labs to check the raw materials for making ‘aravana’ production.
Thiruvananthapuram: With Sabarimala pilgrimage season round the corner, food safety authorities have set up two labs at Sannidanam and Pampa to ensure safety for the thousands of devotees arriving at Sabarimala.
The Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety has appointed six analysts at the two labs to check the raw materials for making ‘aravana’ production. A top official said that the laboratories would start functioning right away. “Aravana production will begin in a couple of days. We are going to the godowns on Thursday to check the raw materials. A designated officer and two food safety officers have been deployed at the ‘Sannidanam’. Two teams comprising six food safety officials have been deployed outside Pampa,” said the official. Only male officers are being deployed The official said that aravana production unit at Erumeli would be under the scanner. “Annadanams’ would be held und-er our control. Our special squads would launch drives in and around Sannidanam from November 17 onwards,” said the official.
Aasife Biriyani Owner Shedding Tears While Explaining Himself !! “Its A Complete Corporate Plan” He States !!
Aasife Biriyani is one of the prominent food restaurant in Chennai city which is well known for its unique taste and the Biriyani it provides is one of a kind which is felt by the people of Chennai themselves.
A team of officials from Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department sealed the central kitchen of a chain of restaurants, Aasife Biriyani, in Guindy recently, citing sub-standard food and unhygienic environment.
According to officials of the Food Safety Department, the central kitchen was sealed as there was no response to repeated notices issued to improve and adhere to the quality standards under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
It is from here that main dishes are prepared and transported to different outlets across the city. The building was sealed after an emergency prohibition order was obtained.
“During the visit, it was found that the kitchen was totally unhygienic. They were also using sub-standard products to cook,” an official part of the team alleged. It is learnt that the Food Safety official for Chennai district, R Kathiravan, and his colleagues have taken the step following the order of Food Safety Commissioner P Amudha.
The officials also explained that a few samples were taken from the kitchen also found to be unsafe. “There are 19 outlets in the city. Food to all these restaurants was prepared at the sealed centralised kitchen and sent to respective restaurants,” the official added.
However, the officials added that the kitchen could be opened again by the management after overhauling it properly.
Earlier facebook page of the Briyani centre has released an Official statement regarding the rotten meat issue which explained about an article published in Vikatan’s online article about 2000kg rotten mutton in Aasife. They said that Aasife kitchen inspection is clearly a separate issue.
In a recent video interview to Behindwoods, the owner of Aasife Biriyani, Aasife Ahmed gave a brief explanation on what exactly happened on that day. “It is known that the Biriyani in Aasife was cooked by using firewood, we never said that we are cooking in our kitchen using gas. While cooking in firewood it is natural that a kitchen would look like that. They gave us time to rectify the kitchen atmosphere and sealed the restaurant within the final day of time period. While they are entering the restaurant, it came as flash news in T V. Though we completed 90% of what they said, they sealed 2 days before the time period.”
“We are planning to spread our branches world wide including London, United States, Malaysia etc. This is someone like big corporate people trying to stop us from spreading our business worldwide. I started this business in hand cart and I don’t bother on giving up this business but what my concern is my workers. 1500 workers life depends on Aasife Biriyani which is really an emotional attachment to me. I never compromised a single day in my 19 years of food business” the owner gets emotional.
He also explains how the cooking circulation works and what exactly happened on the day it was sealed in the interview. What do you think on his statements ?? Let us know by commenting below !!
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