Mynamarese food items to be tested
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, October 26 2012: Food items imported from neighbouring Myanmar to Manipur are now subject to safety and efficacy testing in laboratory and at the same time the next step is to pay special attention to different brands of packaged drinking water produced in the state, an official of Manipur Medical Directorate said.

The step has been taken up by the state Government in response to an official instruction by Central Government, an official of the state Medical Directorate who did not want to be named told Nepram Tombi of Newmai News Network on Friday.

With the centre paying special attention to all the eatables included in Indo-Myanmar boarder trade, the instruction was given to the state Government by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) at the Centre acting on a prior proposal submitted to the latter by Manipur Government in this regard in July this year, the official informed.

As per the instruction, the largest imported food item betel nuts were tested at Food Testing Laboratory, Lamphelpat in August, he said.

The test was conducted after taking samples of the betel nuts under the supervision of food experts.

However, no detrimental substance was detected during the testing after which further import of betel nuts in the state was approved, he added.

The procedure of testing of every suspicious food item is carried out by way of purchasing them from traders and then sending them to the state laboratory, he further said.

This, he said, is done by the concerned Food Safety Officers (FSOs) of all the districts.

In the case of imported foodstuffs, test is conducted after the samples are received, the Medical Directorate official said.

The food samples are sent to the laboratory by custom officials.

He also said it has become quite necessary at the same time to keep special attention to all the packaged drinking water available in the state.

It does not mean that they are all bad but the point is that the need for testing such article has grown up, he stressed.

The official said it has been a demand from some section of the public that manufacturing and expiry dates pasted along with label tags on every bottled drinking water brands should be indicated by markings only.

A chemical compound called bisphenol-A is contained in every bottle to make the water look clean and clear but as expiry date of the compound extends beyond it dissolves slowly and causes harm to health, he further said.

Considering the above fact, experts from the state Food Testing Laboratory are also of the view that it is better to indicate manufacturing and expiry dates of every packaged drinking water through proper markings on the surface of the bottle itself.

This will enable to prevent from reselling of already used bottles and also selling of bottled drinking water brands beyond expiry dates, he suggested.

He further informed that the Central Government has also given approval to upgrade the present building and equipments of the Food Testing Laboratory at Lamphelpat by April 2013 .

All the other eatables included in the Indo-Myammar Border Trade will be tested at the laboratory a soon as it is upgraded but testing of all the items is impossible as of now due to lack of better proper tools and microbiology room, he added.

The major food items now imported from Myanmar through barter mechanism are betel nuts, turmeric, red kidneys beans (rajma), kuth roots, gram, resin, dry ginger, etc.

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