Food safety in healthcare delivery, to be strengthened
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 03 2011:
Four years after the enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Manipur government has come to realize the importance of food safety regulation in redressing health issues and decided to strengthen the state machinery for effective enforcement of the Act.
The Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 has been enacted by Parliament to consolidate the laws relating to food including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 .
The sole objective of the Act was to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
The centre has been advising the state government for setting up of a separate department for Food Safety under the provisions of the Act.
It has, however, not acted for the last four year ignoring the importance of safety measures for health.
With the increased in local and imported food products, food safety regulation has become an important health issue.
The government has now decided to strengthen the existing state machinery for enforcement of the Act.
A cabinet meeting held recently decided to upgrade the post of deputy Food Safety Commissioner and Food Safety officer in the pay scale of ' 10,00-15,200 and ' 6,500-10,500 respectively and to fill up vacant posts in the food testing laboratory.
The state food testing laboratory functioning under the Health Department which was established 17 years back is in a defunct state.
Even constructions are yet to be completed leave aside procuring food testing equipments .
A food testing lab should take up all necessary analyses related with food safety (pesticide residue, heavy metals, drug residues, residues of persistent organic compounds, microbiology, allergen testing, mycotoxins, enzymes and hormones, GM content and acrlamide) and food quality (nutritional, minerals, volatile and semi-volatile compounds and additives) analysis.
Till date Manipur does not have such facilities.