Eyeing delicious foods in Sangai Festival! Think again...
Food stalls found flouting safety norms
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 23 2014: Amidst growing euphoria surrounding over the ongoing 10-day Sangai Festival 2104 which kick-started from November 21 at Hapta Kangjeibung, most of the food stalls being opened in the festival are found flouting Food Safety & Standard Act 2006, raising question on hygienic condition of varieties of food items offer in their stalls.

In last year edition of the festival, food stalls were asked to register and obtain temporary license in accordance to Food Safety & Standard Act 2006 but most of them had not paid heed to the direction.

In the ongoing festival also, most of the food stalls were found without possessing temporary license in defiance of the guidelines of Food Safety & Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) .

foods in Sangai Festival

Sources available to Hueiyen Lanpao said Health Department, Government of Manipur had already asked Tourism Department to direct food stalls to obtain temporary license according to Food Safety & Standard Act for opening stalls in the festival.

However, most of the food stalls are running without temporary license which is due to the failure of Tourism Department to inform food stalls in advance regarding the mandatory obtaining of the license.

According to Food Safety & Standard Act 2006, food stalls should obtain temporary license for running in festival and they should stick the license at their stalls so that visitors could view it.

More than 100 food stalls are being opened in the ongoing Sangai Festival.

When asked whether they are running their stalls after obtaining temporary license in accordance to Food Safety & Standard Act 2006, the answer is 'No' .

Meanwhile, Food Safety Officers of the nine districts of the State have directed food staffs being opened in the ongoing festival to obtain temporary license of FSSAI without fail.

They have also started inspecting whether varieties of food offer in their staffs are safe to consume or not.

The Food Safety Officers team during a raid conducted in the ongoing festival today seized tobacco products which are prohibited by an order of the government from five stalls.

The seized tobacco products including pan and khaini are worth Rs 5, 000 .

In the advent of the unwarranted revelations, it has become necessary to inspect whether varieties of food items offer in food stalls in the ongoing Sangai Festival is sub-standard or not.

It is also necessary to ensure that they do not mix additional substances which would prove hazardous to health.