HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to draft a stringent law to curb the growing menace of food and medicine adulteration. Expressing concern over the increasing number of people falling ill due to adulterated vegetables, fruits, milk and other food products, he called for a comprehensive legal framework to tackle the problem.
Reviewing the proposed Telangana Food Adulteration and Drug Control Act (TGFADCA) with officials at Bodhi Pavilion in the MCRHRD Institute on Saturday, the chief minister said the indiscriminate use of chemicals to extend the shelf life of vegetables and milk and to artificially ripen fruits was posing a serious threat to public health.
He also pointed out that excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides leaves chemical residues in agricultural produce, which could be one of the reasons why some foreign countries reject Indian exports. Revanth noted that many products are being sold as “organic” at premium prices, but there is no effective mechanism to verify their authenticity.
Taking serious note of the rise in food and drug adulteration cases, he directed officials to study anti-adulteration laws in countries that have successfully tackled the issue. He asked them to submit a comprehensive report based on their findings. He said the proposed legislation would be drafted after discussions in the Legislative Assembly and after seeking public opinion.
The chief minister also instructed officials to implement anti-adulteration measures on a pilot basis in the CURE region before expanding them across Telangana. He asked them to identify gaps during the pilot phase and improve the enforcement mechanism accordingly. He further directed the appointment of whistleblowers and the establishment of a toll-free helpline to receive complaints related to food and medicine adulteration.
VIOLATIONS FOUND AT TWO EATERIES, THREE ARRESTED
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) on Saturday raided two fast-food centres — Al-Madina Chinese Fast Food Center and Omer Chinese Fast Food Center — in Chandrayangutta and apprehended three persons for alleged food safety violations.
They found food being prepared under highly unhygienic conditions, use of reused cooking oil and artificial food colours, non-maintenance of pest control records, absence of water analysis certificates, failure to maintain prescribed food hygiene standards.
The team seized around 20 litres of reused cooking oil, 10 litres of fresh cooking oil, 40 kg of fried chicken, 40 kg of raw coloured chicken and three boxes of artificial food colours.