Uttarakhand: In view of Holi, Commissioner Food Safety and Drug Administration Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar instructed the officials to collect samples of food items

Commissioner Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttarakhand Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar issued instructions to all the designated officers to conduct a special campaign under the action plan for large-scale inspection/sample collection in the state in view of Holi festival. Under the special campaign, proper publicity should be given to the strict action to be taken in the districts, so that other people can be stopped from the fear of action being taken on adulteration. To take the strictest steps against the people involved in adulteration, initiate decoy operation, enforcement and surveillance on a wide scale in the districts and also to take strict action under relevant rules against adulterated or such food manufacturers/wholesalers/suppliers/retailers. directed. The action taken under the said action plan should instill a sense of trust in the general public towards the department and the people doing adulteration should feel at risk in doing this work.

Instructions have been given to specially collect samples of food items such as milk, mawa, oil, spices, namkeen, etc. being supplied from outside states by constituting a team of designated officers. Instructions were also given to speed up the collection and testing of samples of suspicious food items. It was directed to take action as per rules against the establishments manufacturing/distributing food items in unhygienic conditions. So far 199 samples have been collected for testing in the special campaign conducted in view of Holi festival in the state. Food safety officers have been directed for joint inspection/sampling with police/administration and action under relevant sections of IPC. Instructions were given to State Analyst Food Laboratory, Uttarakhand Rudrapur to get the test report of the samples done within the stipulated time limit. Along with this, consumers have also been requested to register information/complaints on the departmental toll-free number 18001804246 on the manufacture/sale of adulterated/sub-standard food items. Along with this, the departmental officers were instructed to take action on the complaints received from the consumers on priority basis. Food Safety Commissioner Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar requested the general public / consumers to implement the following points while purchasing food items.

1- At the time of buying food items, read the label for the date of manufacture / consumption and other information.
2- Make sure to check the Best Before date while buying sweets, salty / dryfruits, soft drinks.
3- Avoid consuming colored chips, salty sweets etc.
4- Complaint can be lodged on departmental toll-free 18001804246 regarding adulterated food.
5- Buy food items only from the establishments following the health related standards.
6- Sweets, salty etc. prepared in used edible oil are injurious to health. Avoid using it.

In the said review meeting, Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) of Food Organization and Drug Administration GC Kandwal, Amit Manish Singh, State Analyst Nishant Tyagi and Sanjay Malik were included. Apart from the Deputy Commissioner in-charge Gadwal and Kumaon Mandal, participation was done through online medium by District Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers.