Health Minister Veena George has said that Food Safety License/Registration is mandatory for all Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the State and all FBOs should obtain FSSAI License within three months.
All FBOs are required to display the toll-free number of the Food Safety Department in their shop premises.
In view of the upcoming monsoon season, the maintenance of food safety and hygiene has become even more important. Hence more inspections will be initiated by the food safety wing, she said. Addressing a high-level meeting of Food Safety Officers here on Wednesday, Ms. George said that the department has an important role to play in the prevention of infectious disease outbreaks.
He directed the officials to continue the food safety inspections and take stringent measures to ensure that only clean and safe food is sold to the people. Shops where closure notices were issued may be allowed to reopen only if food safety norms are being followed without fail and strict follow-up measures should be taken to ensure that crime should not happen again,
Steps are needed so that the results of monitoring sampling are available in time. All activities at the district level should be reviewed every two weeks by assistant commissioners of food safety, while the state level should be reviewed every month, Ms George said.
Food safety awareness programs for public should be conducted on regular basis and at least one person in each shop should be well trained on FSSAI norms.
The meeting assessed that Operation Matsya has been very effective in preventing the entry of adulterated fish into the market from across the border. Around 6,597 kg of stale fish were destroyed under the campaign.
In the last 16 days, a total of 3,297 food safety checks were conducted across the state and 283 outlets which were functioning without mandatory FSSAI license/registration were ordered to be closed and 1,075 outlets issued notices for violation of hygiene norms. Did it More than 400 kg of meat which was unfit for human consumption was confiscated and destroyed. Juice shops were also inspected. While eight juice shops were asked to close, 96 shops were served notices for failing to comply with food safety standards.
Principal Secretary (Health) Rajan Khobragade, Food Safety Commissioner V.R. Vinod and other senior officers were present.