"VAN" (Delhi Bureau - 21.10.2021) :: There are provisions for punishment in the existing laws related to food safety for many offences such as preparation of food items in an unhygienic atmosphere; carrying adulterated food; if a person dies due to consumption of adulterated food or suffers physical ailment or distress, etc. The punishments are in different forms viz. penal charges, imprisonment, etc. The administration does pay attention to maintaining the quality of food items, but citizens should also be alert while buying food items during these festival periods, appealed Mr Mohan Kembalkar, the Assistant Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Kolhapur while speaking in the special online discussions program jointly held by ‘Arogya Sahayya Samiti’ and ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ on the topic of ‘How to identify food adulteration and its solution (Part 2)’.
Mr Sunil Pakhare, a junior scientist of ‘Zilha Sarvajanik Arogya Prayogshala (District Public Health Laboratory), Satara and Kolhapur, and his colleagues showed how to identify adulteration in ‘Mawa’ made of milk, saffron, pulses, etc. The program was shown on the website of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) viz. Hindujagruti.org; itsYouTubechannel viz HinduJagruti, and ‘Twitter’ accounts of HJS, ‘Arogya Sahayya Samiti’ and ‘Surajya Abhiyan’. People should watch this program and its first part shown on 13th October 2021 and contact ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ to join its fight against adulteration, was an appeal made by Mr Vaibhav Aphale of HJS.
Mr Kembalkar said further that during the festivals like Diwali, aluminum foil is used instead of silver foil for garnishing sweet items. A lot of food colour is also used in sweets and other edible items like jaggery. The oil used for frying should be used for maximum 3 number of times by a vendor; instead, they use the oil for frying till it turns blackish; therefore, people should be alert while buying fried items. The consumers can also check the expiry date of all packaged/ tinned food. Nowadays, a large quantity of ‘Ajinomoto’ is used in making Chinese food items and some other packaged food items. Items made with ‘Ajinomoto’ are harmful to health since it causes acidity and affects digestion, besides causing diseases related to intestines; therefore, such food should be avoided. The citizens can call on toll-free number 1800112100 of the Central Department of FSSAI, and another toll-free number 1800222365 for Maharashtra to report matters related to food adulteration. A complaint can also be lodged with FSSAI over the phone, online, or through direct correspondence. Later, the officers of ‘Food Security Squad’ give official information regarding follow-up action.
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