NEW DELHI: Stressing that food adulteration will not be tolerated, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has formed a team in coordination with the state authorities to crack down on those who indulge in such malpractices.
He said large-scale testing would be carried out across the country and action will be taken as per the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) against those found guilty.
“There will be no tolerance to food adulteration in the country,” the minister said. The move comes days after the food regulator announced a nationwide check of milk and dairy products to curb adulteration.
“As we aim to become a developed nation in our Amrit Kaal, it is essential that our citizens are healthy. Swasth Nagrik creates a Swastha Rashtra, which leads to a Samruddha Rashtra,” the minister said at the inauguration of the state-of-the-art National Training Centre of FSSAI at Ghaziabad.
India’s traditional food habits and way of life should be adopted as ‘our kitchen is our hospital’. “Good quality nutritious food can go a long way in keeping diseases at bay,” he said. “The people who will train at the National Training Centre of FSSAI will play a significant role in creating healthy citizens in the country, as they will ensure quality standards for food are followed in the country,” he said.
On the occasion, Mandaviya also released two books developed by FSSAI – Millets (Shree Anna) Recipes- A Healthy Menu for Mess/Canteens and Healthy Gut, Healthy You – Traditional Recipes with potential probiotic benefits. FSSAI had the responsibility of setting food standards in the country, said Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare SP Singh at the occasion.
The training centre would provide structured instruction, practice, and learning experiences to bridge the gap between existing knowledge or skills and desired knowledge or skills in the field of food safety and standards. As mandated by the FSS Act 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, FSSAI is responsible for providing training to individuals involved in food businesses, including food business operators, employees, food safety officers, and designated officers.
The FSSAI also launched an e-learning app, Food Safety and Certification (FoSTaC), which contains learning and training modules about food safety guidelines for street vendors.
Tough talk