Maggi row is only a tip of ice berg ‘Food adulteration in State has assumed alarming proportions’

 STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Hailing the directions of the J and K CAPD Minister to collect samples of Maggi Noodles randomly from different districts for laboratory testing in view of a nationwide clamour, Harsh Dev Singh observed that Maggi controversy was only a tip of the ice-berg and that the Food Safety called for radical overhaul.
Welcoming the Minister’s initiative in view of reports of excessive MSG and lead found in Maggi samples, Harsh said that a holistic view of all kinds of food adulteration which had assumed alarming proportions was the need of the hour. He said persistent complaints regarding food adulteration in the State in the past forced the government to enact Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006 but the adulteration of eatables continues unabated due to lackadaisical approach of the government and tardy implementation of the Act. He pointed out that adulteration of majority of food items had become a widespread phenomenon with unscrupulous venders going scot-free despite repeated public complaints.
Making a particular mention of the Khyber Agro Farms Pvt. Ltd besides a couple of other companies whose food products were found to be of sub standard quality and highly adulterated by a Kolkata based laboratory, he said that the said companies managed to get stay order from Supreme Court on the grounds of infirmities in the Act and its implementation. He regretted that the said Act has remained confined to papers only with hardly any initiative having been taken by the State government to check the unabated adulteration of food items that pose the most menacing threat to the lives of the consumers. He deplored that the Government’s attention is drawn towards the Act only when some tragic event happens due to food poisoning, food adulteration, adulteration of milk and milk products, unsafe drinking water or spurious drugs. He deplored that despite adulteration in majority of the food items the government has failed to punish even a single defaulter.
Urging upon the strict implementation of the FSSA, Singh called for constitution of a Food Safety Standards Authority on the central pattern to be headed by a senior officer from civil services. He further sought the constitution of screening committee as directed by the Supreme Court which should compromise officers of integrity as the subject involves the very health, survival and well being of the public at large.
Harsh urged upon the CAPD Minister to launch a full throttle campaign against adulteration with rigorous punishment to the offenders.