Poor infrastructure and staff shortage have hampered the
enforcement of food safety standards, creating conditions conducive to
the rampant sale of adulterated food in Kerala, the Assembly Committee
on Subordinate Legislation has found.
In its report submitted to the House on Tuesday, the committee
chaired by M.Ummer said the creation of infrastructural facilities was
inadequate to support the transition from the Prevention of Food
Adulteration (PFA) Act to the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA).
Noting
that the absence of laboratory facilities to test food samples was a
major inadequacy in the State’s food safety regime, the report
recommended the establishment of accredited food analytical laboratories
in all districts.
Mr.Ummer told reporters that the
panel had called for infrastructural improvement to secure NABL
(National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration of
Laboratories) accreditation for the regional food analytical laboratory
at Thiruvananthapuram first and the two other regional government
laboratories in the next phase.
The report
highlighted the need to establish a food safety appellate tribunal and
special court and appoint public prosecutors. It also called for steps
to appoint food safety officers for each constituency.
The
committee proposed the creation of a database of food vendors in each
constituency to be inspected by designated officers. It mooted monthly
inspections of pre-metric hostels, anganwadis and food godowns to ensure
proper storage, quality of stocks and cooking environment.
The panel also recommended periodic inspections of eateries at tourist destinations and food processing factories.
Inspection
of food items brought into the State through check posts and formation
of district level vigilance squads are other major recommendations in
the report.
Source:http://www.thehindu.com
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