Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat have taken a tough stand on the incidents of spit or dirt being mixed in food items in Uttarakhand. CM Dhami has already said that such incidents will not be tolerated under any circumstances. At the same time, now Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration Department R Rajesh Kumar has issued a detailed SOP. Under the issued SOP, provision has been made for a fine ranging from 25 thousand to one lakh rupees along with strict action against the culprits.
Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration Dr. R Rajesh Kumar said that in recent times, cases of adulteration of human waste or other dirty things in juices and other food items have come to the fore in many areas of the state. Which violates the provisions made in the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. He said that all food traders will have to compulsorily follow the conditions of the license along with taking it.
Along with this, it is also mandatory to follow all the things related to hygiene and cleanliness in food items. In such a situation, there is a provision to take action against food traders who do not follow the rules under the provisions given in the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, there are provisions to ensure strict compliance of food safety and hygiene standards including hotels, restaurants, dhabas, canteens, food vending agencies, food stalls, street food vendors operating in the state, in view of ensuring the availability of pure, clean and safe food items to the general public. For which teams are continuously conducting raids.
At the same time, action is also being taken against the traders found guilty in the investigation. On the other hand, Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that the festival season is coming, in which safety and purity are the top priority of his government. He said that any kind of impurity or antisocial activities will not be tolerated during the festivals.
SOP issued by FDA-
• In view of the necessity of hygiene and cleanliness in the state, the food and serving food workers of food businesses will have to compulsorily use face mask/gloves/head gear.
• While handling food items in food establishments, smoking, spitting etc. and hand habits like scratching nose, running hands through hair, scratching body parts etc. before using or touching dairy (milk and milk products) products will have to be controlled. In view of bacterial infection in food items due to these habits, it is against the rules.
• Do not employ persons suffering from infectious diseases at food manufacturing/storage/distribution sites under any circumstances. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations 2011, there is a provision to provide the list of personnel working in the food establishment along with medical certificate. In such a situation, it will be mandatory for all licensees/registration holders to display the list of all their food workers along with their medical certificates at the workplace/establishment.
• In view of the incidents that happened in the past few days, it is directed that all food businessmen will compulsorily issue photo identity cards to the workers working in the food establishment. Which will have to be shown to the workers of the establishment at the workplace.
• In view of the necessity of hygiene and cleanliness, food manufacturing workers/serving workers/food selling workers are prohibited from spitting and spreading any other type of dirt at the workplace. If anyone violates these provisions, then he will be punished with a fine of 25 thousand to 1 lakh rupees under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
• Any food material produced or prepared in the food premises by the food businessmen will not be affected by feces, urine, spit or any other contaminated substance. Every food trader will have to paste a readable copy of the license in a clear prominent place.
• Apart from this, every food trader will maintain separate daily records of production, use of raw materials and sales. Food traders doing business without registration will be licensed and registered. Apart from this, CCTV will have to be installed in food establishments, dhabas, hotels, restaurants etc.
• At the same time, in compliance with the letter of National Minority Commission dated 26 December 2022, every meat seller, meat trader, hotel and restaurant will also have to mandatorily state the type of meat product being sold (Halal or Jhatka). The food trader will have to comply with all these instructions.
