BHUBANESWAR: With mushrooming of street food clusters in urban centres across the State and lack of quality food testing system for developing a food safety ecosystem, the State Government is contemplating to outsource food testing business to private agencies. Chairing a high-level meeting on food safety in the Secretariat here on Saturday, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy asked Housing and Urban Development department and Food Safety Commissionerate to examine the possibility of enforcing food safety measures through authorised agencies with the delegation of necessary powers.
Tripathy directed to create an online system for creating a database for better monitoring and enforcement activities. An online registration and licensing system for food business operators (FBOs) was launched in December 2016.“There has been a steady increase in the number of registered FBOs in the State over last three years. The total number of registered FBOs has increased from 5,026 in 2016-17 to 25,822 in 2017-18 and 36,622 in 2018-19,” said Food Safety Commissioner Yamini Sarangi.
The Chief Secretary also directed the HUD department and Food Safety Commissioner to start a special drive for creating intensive awareness among street food vendors and people about food safety. The meeting decided that BMC will identify the most populous stretches for creation of ‘safe food streets’ in the Corporation area on pilot basis. The proposal for designated food safety officers in five areas of the BMC was also approved.
Sarangi told the meeting that payment of fees and dues as per Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 has also been made online. The State Food Testing Laboratory has been recognised by Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FASSI) and mobile food testing laboratory has been provided in the State from November 2017.
In 2018-19, a total number of 327 food samples have been picked and tested, out of which 92 samples have been found either adulterated or misbranded against which 14 criminal and 33 civil cases have been instituted. Besides, 1,599 surveillance samples have also been collected principally from places of public festivals and celebrations out of which 477 samples found adulterated have been fined. Mobile food testing laboratory has tested 1,832 samples and conducted 140 awareness and 20 training programs.