Caution over ice block sounded
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 03 2018:
Designated Officer of Food Safety Authority, Imphal East as well as Designated Officer i/c Jiribam, T Brojendro has conveyed that it is high time for the food business operators present in the State to implement some type of system to clearly distinguish their ice and ice blocks as edible or inedible.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Brojendro said that the lack of such an identification system or method has resulted in people using ice blocks made out of undrink-able or polluted water as edible items.
Consumption of these contaminated ice and ice blocks can lead to serious health hazards, he added.
He continued that over and above this, as per the norms of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, itis imperative to properly confirm the microbiological parameters of the ice or ice blocks used in the preservation, storage or transportation of perishable items.
As such, food business operators have to add around 10 ppm (parts per million) Indigo Carmine or Brilliant Blue chemicals to the ice which will turn them blue in colour thus showing them as inedible ice or ice blocks.
The officer explained that necessary notifications have been issued to the food business operators today regarding the matter.
If the ice block producers do not follow these rules, they can be persecuted under Food Safety Act, Rules and Regulations, Brojendro added.