Food Business to be Under Scanner in AP

Vijayawada: The food business in Andhra Pradesh will soon be under the scanner. As many as 14 mobile food labs - one each for a district and one for the Chief Minister’s Office - will be pressed into service shortly.

Central funds under the aegis of the Food Safety and Standards Authority are being used for the launch of these mobile food labs. One lab will be allotted to each of the erstwhile 13 districts. Each lab can conduct as many as 80 types of tests.

Any food product or item, either raw or cooked that fall under the ambit of Food Safety and Standards Act, will be tested on the spot in the mobile lab. In case further tests are required, the samples will be sent to the forensic labs for detailed examination.

The staff on the mobile labs can impose on-the-spot fines. They can test cooking oils, dals, pulses and other household cooking items.

This apart, the petty food business units selling items like idly, dosa, vada and snacks in the streets or at busy enclosures will also come under the purview of the mobile labs. In case any lapse is found vis-a-vis quality or hygiene, the labs can impose fines on them, on the spot.

The food safety department said it was receiving complaints on sale of adulterated food items like oils, dals and pulses etc by traders/shops, and of cooked food items. Eateries are using rotten meat, repeatedly boiled oil, banned colours etc that harm the health of consumers. Such outlets/shops will be taken to task.

Food safety director in-charge Poornachandra Rao said, “The labs will ascertain the quality of food items, both raw and cooked, across the state.”

The food safety authority intends to carry out an awareness drive on food safety to ensure that food business operators “follow standard norms” while selling food items.

Meanwhile, the state food lab is getting ready in Visakhapatnam. It would function in a full-fledged manner in addition to the regional food labs in Guntur and Tirupati, all of which would keep a close tab on the quality of food items sold in the state.