Kerala: No rules yet to reward food adulteration alerts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the Food Safety and Standards Act provides the provision for states to frame their own rules to reward people informing about food adulteration and other malpractices, the state government is yet to bring in such legislation. The previous UDF government had taken a decision to frame rules for providing cash awards to those giving information about individuals and agencies indulging in food adulteration within and outside the state in 20102. However, the decision remained on paper.

The LDF government is yet to take a decision on putting in place the cash award scheme though complaints of food adulteration have shown an increase.  “Many wholesalers and traders from outside the state are behind such illegal acts. We cannot catch hoteliers and shopkeepers for something which they are not responsible for. Our aim should be to catch the real culprits,” said an official. It is in this context that experts say the cash award scheme could have helped in checking adulteration. Under 64 (b) of the FSSA, the state governments can frame rules for earmarking a fund for rewarding a person or persons rendering assistance in detection of offence or apprehension of offender. 

The state government can also empower the Commissioner of Food Safety to reward persons rendering assistance in detecting such offence. Experts say complaints of adulteration of food products including curry powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, atta, maida and wheat are on the rise. The samples are now being tested at the three NABH accredited laboratories at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode. 

“More than detection the focus should be on finding the source and taking action at that level,” said an official. Over 500 truckloads of fruits and vegetables enter the state daily and it goes without saying that a large quantity of the same is laden with pesticides. According to food safety officials, pesticides are being used extensively to increase the shelf life of the produce.  Bulk of the samples of vegetables and fruits are being sent to the laboratory of Agriculture College, Vellayani for examination.

The consumption of adulterated food including toxic vegetables are leading to several complicated health problems like gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, disease of the nervous system and birth defects are on the rise because of consumption of vegetables containing various contaminants, toxins and residues.
Food safety officials says steps have been taken to intensify random collection of food samples. The number of food safety officers have been increased 40 to 158 with each Assembly Constituency having one official.