COIMBATORE: Officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have been conducting raids on eateries/shops in the city and taking penal action on shops that lacked hygiene or sold food packets without mentioning the expiry dates.
But food packets distributed to guests at its official event on Sunday didn’t have details like date of manufacturing, packing or expiry dates, which made the participants wonder if FSSAI practices what it preaches.
On Sunday, PM Narendra Modi remotely inaugurated FSSAI’s advanced lab on Race Course Road. Guests were given packets of cashew pakora and Kaju Katli, prepared by the Aroma Bakery. But the packets did not have any details.
When enquired about it, the Coimbatore district food safety department designated officer Dr Tamil Selvan told TNIE, “The snacks that were distributed in the food packets during the event were ready-to-eat food. We instructed the shop to bring the food in a clean container and distribute it to the people. As they were ready-to-eat food, the manufacturing and expiry dates were not printed on the packets. There should not be any controversy about it.”
A worker from the bakery who distributed the food packets reiterated the officer’s claim. The Aroma management couldn’t be reached for comment.