Apr 3, 2020
FSSAI nod to e-inspect businesses for food permits
After lockdown, food inspectors can schedule physical inspection of units
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to allow State licensing authorities to conduct e-inspections to avoid any delay in grant of licences and registrations to certain food business operators (FBOs) during the ongoing lockdown to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
This applies to licence and registrations applications where licensing authorities need to conduct inspection of food units before granting permits. These FBOs will be now be allowed to submit photos/videos or do live-streaming of their units or premises to the licensing authorities for the purpose of e-inspection.
In a letter sent to all State Food Safety Commissioners, the food safety authority stated: “FSSAI has, from time to time, issued directions emphasising post-license inspection instead of pre-licence/registration inspection due to limited manpower and to avoid undue delay in sanctioning licenses. However, the licensing/registration authorities may, in certain cases, particularly high-risk food categories, decide to have pre-licence inspection.”
“Since during the lockdown period this would not be possible, it has been decided to consider e-inspections in place of physical inspections,” FSSAI stated, adding that this is being done to avoid undue delay in granting licenses and registrations during the period.
It said that the licensing authorities can do e-inspection by recording their observations on the basis of videos and images submitted by the concerned FBOs.
“The mode of submission of videos or image related to inspection during the lockdown situation may be through any media available possible, including livestreaming. Upon receiving satisfactory video or images, the licensing/registering authority shall further process the applications without any delay,” FSSAI said in the order.
Once normalcy is restored, the food inspectors can then schedule physical inspections of such units. The regulator emphasised that e-inspection is being allowed only during the current lockdown period.
The food safety authority also reiterated that since food is an essential commodity, the authorities involved in licensing and registration should make all efforts to process such applications without delay.
Apr 2, 2020
Apr 1, 2020
Mar 31, 2020
Mar 28, 2020
Mar 27, 2020
Man booked for selling gutkha amid lockdown
The Pimpri-Chinchwad police, on Wednesday night, booked a man for being in possession of gutkha (tobacco) in Nigdi in order to sell it while a nation-wide lockdown is in place.
The man has been identified as Mehboob Hussain Karval, 24, a resident of Ota Scheme in Rajnagar, Nigdi. Karval was roaming around on a TVS Jupiter at 2.30 pm, according to the police.
On Wednesday, a team of two officers of the crime branch, and anti-narcotics cell officials were in the area. The police seized gutkha worth Rs 16,452 from him. He intended to sell it even though the order of Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner does not permit it, said police.
Karval was among the 76 people who faced action under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Wednesday for violating lockdown rules, said police.
A case under Sections 188, 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 273 (sale of noxious food or drink), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence) of IPC along with Sections 2(a), 26(2)(i), 26(2)(iv) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 has been registered against the man at Nigdi police station.
Mar 25, 2020
Mar 24, 2020
Mar 20, 2020
Coronavirus outbreak: How safe is your food
01/5Can coronavirus spread through food
With the outbreak of the COVID19, strict instructions of staying quarantined have been passed in most countries around the world. The toll of confirmed cases is rising every minute in affected countries and at this rate, it can also go out of control if proper measures are not taken in time. The situation is becoming severe as we see it and if anything that has become more important than eating is staying clean and washing your hands and face as much as possible throughout the day. Coronavirus is declared a pandemic by the WHO and this has given rise to the pre-existent agitation among people all over the world. For the very same reason, it is important to keep the right information in hand and not let hoax news create any more panic than what already exists.
02/5False news
One most common false information that is being spread on a large scale is that the virus is capable of spreading through food. The researchers at European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC) said that even though the virus is likely to have spread from an animal source, it is now spreading through human contact by respiratory droplets that are either sneezed, coughed or exhaled by people.
03/5Food is safe
So, unless someone who has been infected by the virus, sneezes, exhales or has any form of droplet transmission through food or otherwise within one-metre distance, both you and your food are safe. Droplet transmission can also take place by sharing the infected person’s used cutlery like spoons, cups, plates, etc. The most common gateway for these droplets to enter your body is through your eyes, mouth and nose which is why the hygiene instructions mark as washing hands regularly and keeping hands off your face are prioritized by the World Health Organisation.
04/5Is meat safe?
Being around the person who is infected with COVID19 can potentially increase your chances of getting the virus. But any information that claims that the virus can be spread through any food items, especially poultry, stand false at this moment. The director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has also talked about the consumption of poultry and has made it clear that if made under clean and hygienic conditions, poultry has no harm in the ongoing coronavirus. "As a common healthcare precaution, all kinds of meat should be thoroughly washed and properly cooked," he added. Many organisations and research centres such as the European Food Safety Authority have been working closely on this matter and have also claimed that currently there is no evidence that food is one of the likely sources of transmitting the coronavirus.
05/5Important measures to stay safer
It is advised by experts to not eat food from outside and cook at home as much as possible because, at the end of the day, you do not know by whom your food is prepared and under which circumstances. It is also advised to avoid going out to parties, playdates, sleepovers, coffee shops, etc. Staying indoors is one of the easiest ways we can prevent ourselves from getting the virus and spreading it.
Mar 19, 2020
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