PUDUCHERRY: The food safety department in Puducherry has come to a standstill due to a severe staff shortage, raising concerns about the hygiene of food served across the Union Territory.
The department currently has no Food Safety Officers (FSOs) or support staff. The only person handling operations is Dr Balakrishnan, the Designated Officer (DO), who is serving on deputation from the Food and Drugs Testing Laboratory (FDTL). Of the eight sanctioned FSO posts, all are vacant. The last two FSOs, Dhanaraj and Ravichandran, retired in 2021 and 2024 respectively, and have not been replaced.
Without manpower, the department is unable to issue registration certificates and licences, conduct regular inspections or monitor street food vendors and hotels in all four regions of the UT. “We conduct inspections only when there are complaints and staff from the FDTL assist during those occasions,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
The situation is especially worrying given the rise in unlicensed food stalls across Puducherry. Many roadside vendors operate without mandatory registration or licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act. Vendors with annual sales below Rs 12 lakh must register, and those above need a licence. With no staff to enforce the rules, these norms are routinely flouted, said a retired official.
Inspections carried out before the retirement of the two FSOs found several violations. A prominent hotel on Beach Road was among the establishments penalised for storing non-vegetarian food in unhygienic conditions and failing to maintain proper refrigeration.
A retired food safety inspector revealed that several vendors reuse cooking oil multiple times and even purchase used oil from big hotels to cut costs. “Food is often left uncovered, prepared in unsanitary conditions and exposed to flies and dust. Fruits and vegetables sold in markets were also found to be chemically adulterated," he said.
“We urgently need proper staff and basic infrastructure. The DO alone cannot manage everything across the four regions,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity. Sources in the department said the process to recruit new FSOs has been initiated and the file has been sent to the government for approval.