TG to strengthen food safety protocols
Hyderabad:The government is planning major reforms to enhance food safety protocols through stricter screenings and checks. Commissioner of food safety R.V. Karnan and health secretary Christina Z. Chongthu reviewed the proposed measures in a meeting with officials on Tuesday.
With over 60 per cent of the state's food businesses concentrated in Hyderabad and its surrounding districts—GHMC and Rangareddy and Medchal districts—the government aims to overhaul food safety standards across restaurants, street vendors, manufacturing units and dairy facilities.
While initiatives of the food safety department over the past 18 months have raised awareness, officials stress the need for stricter enforcement. Under the new reforms, all food businesses will be required to obtain FSSAI registration or licenses, with authorities cross-checking trade license data and hawker survey records for compliance.
To support these measures, additional posts will be created in the food safety department and field officers will be placed under senior GHMC officials for better supervision. Mini food safety labs will also be set up in each GHMC zone to handle the increasing volume of food samples for testing, with GHMC assisting in identifying suitable locations.
