Telangana: Health Minister Holds High Review Meeting With Officials On Food Safety

Hyderabad: Telangana should be an example for other states on food safety. Strict action will be taken against food business operators who ignore quality and hygiene standards, said health minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha in a review meeting with officials of the department. He expressed disappointment with the performance of GHMC's food safety officers.

The minister directed the officials to conduct inspections across the state by forming task force teams and establishing mobile food testing labs. He said that around 200 samples should be tested by these the ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ labs. Food safety officials are required to provide a detailed report of tests conducted by mobile food labs every Saturday. He also directed the officials to hold awareness campaigns.

Rajanarasimha said that all government hostels, private boarding residential schools, bakeries, dairy food manufacturers, restaurants and packaged food manufacturers should register for licence. "There is no ignoring those who mess with the health of the students. Strict action will be taken against negligent FBOs as per the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006," he said.

Given the upcoming rainy season, the minister ordered that measures should be taken to ensure that food and drinking water are not contaminated.

Senior officials including health secretary Dr Christina Chongthu, Food Safety Commissioner R.V. Karnan, IPM director Dr Siva Leela, State Food Labs head Lakshminarayana Reddy, assistant food controllers (GHMC) Amrita Sri and Balaji Raju, chief medical officer of health Dr Padmaja and health joint commissioner A. Shailaja participated in the meeting.