Manpower shortage mar food adulteration check
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 07 2011: Despite the efforts being made to check food adulteration under Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and its related Rules and Regulations of 2011, implementation of the Act has remained ineffective in Manipur due to lack of manpower, thereby rendering the Act and its regulations meaningless.

According to a reliable source in the Health and Family Welfare Department, as part of the efforts being made by the state government to check food adulteration and ensure safety of the foods being supplied to the people, the earlier Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1958 and Rules, 1955 have been amended as Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations, 2011, and the same were enforced with effect from October 5 this year.

The source explained that under the newly amended Act and Rules, the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare has taken over all the works related to food safety which used to be carried out by the Director of Health Services and at the district levels, designated officers have been appointed.

Earlier, Chief Medical Officers concerned of the district used to act as the local health authorities.

However, lack of manpower in the field that has to actually monitor strict implementation of the Act and the Rules has acted as a dampener on the whole efforts towards prevention of food adulteration and punishment of the culprits, the source pointed out.

Along with enforcing of the Act and the Rules, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, government of India had given necessary instruction to the government of Manipur for appointing the required staffs to ensure proper implementation of the Act and the Rules.

But so far, there has been no process for appointment of the required staffs, the source lamented.

The source noted that another burning issue with regard to prevention of food adulteration being faced in the state on daily basis is inflow of packaged foods in term of crores of rupees from different parts of the world including neighbouring Myanmar.

These packaged foods have no manufacturing or expiry dates and the names of the manufacturing companies are not printed.

So public should be cautious from purchasing and consumption of such foods as they may pose health problems.

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