KNZ NEWS DESK
GANDERBAL, FEBRUARY 18: A meeting of the District Level Advisory Committee (DLAC) on Safe Food & Healthy Diets under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Shafqat Iqbal was today held here.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Farooq Ahmad Baba, CPO, Irfan Ahmad Giri, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety, Shagoofa Jalal, CMO, CAO, CDPO, Food Safety Officers, Food technologists and persons from food agencies.
At the onset of meeting, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety briefed about the mandate of the committee. She said that the committee has to ensure smooth implementation of FSSA 2006 & compliance with rules and regulations there under besides promotion of fortified foods in ICDS & Mid-Day Meal and development of nutritional & food safety literacy amongst the citizens by convergence with Poshan Abhiyan & SBM programmes.
While deliberating on the objective of the Act, she said that Act aims to establish a single reference point for all matters relating to Food Safety and Standards, by moving from multi-level, multi-departmental control to a single line of command adding that the Food Safety and Standard Act 2011, mandates that all food establishments are registered/licensed and the Food Safety Officer carries the inspection of the food establishments and also collect samples for analytical purposes.
The Committee also oversees the registration of food business units, surveillance of food items, monitoring of inspections, sampling, enforcement, prosecution and adjudication related to food safety. Furthermore, it monitors; the quality & safety of Milk & Milk products, grievances of food sellers as well as consumers, training of the unit holders, food borne diseases etc., the officer informed.
The meeting was informed that about 13000 food business units have been registered so far besides 446 food licenses have been issues for various food establishments in the district.
Regarding inspection of food establishments, the meeting was informed that 203 cases have been launched in the court of Adjudicating Officer Ganderbal (ADC) who has disposed off around 103 prosecutions from last three years and a fine of more than Rs 18 lakh has been realized from erring food establishments.
The chairman directed the Designated officer to carry a special drive for registering all food units in the district. He also stressed for carry awareness drives especially in schools and weekly held Block Diwas with main focus on agenda of the Act, hygiene, quality & quantity of ingredients and shelf life of the end product.
He sought cooperation among all concerned departments so that the ultimate aim of providing quality and safe food to the citizens is envisaged.
Regarding ensuring nutritious, healthy & safe food in ICDS & MDM, he urged for issuance of advisories to the Decentralized Panchayat Food Procurement Committees associated with ICDS & MDM with provisions on list of better quality food sellers, flagging the harmful foods without indicating any bias to any brand or seller, fortification of food, special focus on malnutrition areas, etc. so that beneficiaries are benefited in the best possible way.
