Special squads to ensure food safety during Onam: Health min

Thiruvananthapuram: Food safety department has formed 45 special squads and intensified statewide inspections to ensure the quality and safety of food items distributed during the Onam season, said health minister Veena George on Tuesday.Inspections will cover production, distribution and sales centres of milk, cooking oils, papad, payasam mix, jaggery, ghee, various types of chips, vegetables, tea powder, pulses, fruits, fish, and meat, as well as hotels, bakeries, street vendors, catering units, and check posts. The labels on packaged food items will also be scrutinized. Strict action will be taken against those found violating standards, said George.To ensure the quality of milk, oil and vegetables arriving in large quantities from neighbouring states during Onam, the food safety department will conduct 24-hour inspections. These checks will be supported by the department's mobile food testing lab. Special squads have been deployed at checkposts in Kumily (Idukki), Meenakshipuram and Walayar (Palakkad), Aryankavu (Kollam) and Parassala (Thiruvananthapuram) for continuous monitoring, she added.No establishment will be allowed to operate without a food safety licence. Legal action will be taken against establishments violating the food safety and standards act. Traders and consumers must adhere to the guidelines issued by food safety department to ensure the quality and safety of food items, she said.Traders must display their food safety licence/registration visibly in their establishments. Substandard food items should not be stored or sold. Packaged food items must comply with legal labelling requirements. Establishments and individuals distributing food must maintain strict hygiene practices, and health cards are mandatory for employees, said George.Those providing parcel food must use only food-grade containers and clearly label the packages. Adding prohibited colours or exceeding permissible colour limits in food is not allowed, she said.