THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The food safety department has made it mandatory for eateries to mention use-by time on food parcels from Wednesday. As per the new rule, all food parcels must have a best-before label or a sticker bearing the time of preparation and the maximum time the food is considered fit for consumption.
Health Minister Veena George warned of strict action against eateries failing to follow the rules. The department chalked out the food safety measures after a series of food poisoning incidents in the state. The department has banned the use of mayonnaise made using raw eggs to prevent food poisoning. The eateries can continue to provide eggless mayonnaise. The department, however, has agreed to give two more weeks for food handlers to take health cards.
Earlier, the department mandated that all food handlers should have the health cards by February 1. They decided to implement the rule only from February 16 after considering the rush to take the cards. The hotel owners also sought time to comply with the new rule, said the health minister.
As per the mandate, all employees handling food in shops that prepare, distribute, and sell food items should have a health card. The card is issued after a medical examination to ensure that the employees are free from communicable diseases, wounds, and other diseases. The health card is issued by a medical practitioner in a form prescribed on the FSSAI website. The card is valid for a year and should have the signature and seal of the medical officer.
The food safety department plans to intensify the inspections in eateries as part of the ‘Kerala, a safe food destination’ campaign, from February 1. Health inspectors from the health department will be part of the inspections to augment the inspections by the food safety officers.