Thiruvananthapuram: Vigilance report on food safety raids in ten days

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will be submitting a comprehensive report on the irregularities detected in the surprise inspection carried out at various food safety offices across the state within 10 days.  IG of VACB H Venkitesh told DC that the Bureau is in the process of preparing a report, which would be submitted to the government very soon.

“A consolidated report with a detailed recommendation for improving the system at the food safety offices would be submitted to the government. A lot of changes need to be brought in to improve the enforcement of the food safety act.  Immediate measures should be taken to address the loopholes in the system to ensure transparency,” said Mr Venkitesh.

The squads carried out extensive inspections simultaneously at 42 food safety offices across the state exposing severe anomalies in the enforcement of the Food Safety Act in the state.  When asked, the officials of the Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety refused to comment claiming that they are waiting for the report from VACB.

According to the statement issued by the Bureau, the food safety authorities are not sending the food samples collected for scrutiny to the labs. The complaints coming to the offices are not being properly registered, followed up or officially reported, the press release stated.

The food safety authorities are not doing follow up checks to ensure that the products banned by the food safety authorities are not put up for sale in the market. The officials are imposing minimal fines instead of heavy fines for severe violations. The Bureau also observed that the food safety authorities are not taking action under IPC sessions 272, 273 for food adulteration.