Dinesh Gundu Rao, the Karnataka Health Minister, announced on Wednesday that food testing kits will be accessible for individuals to verify the quality of their food in public areas close to food courts and malls.
3,400 of these testing kits—of which 1,000 have already arrived—will be distributed around the city, according to sources in the health department.
The move comes in wake of concerns over food safety in food courts and malls.
According to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, the department collected 2,593 legal food samples and 2,753 survey samples in July 2024 alone out of 8,418 food samples inspected between April 1 and August 28.
In order to improve transparency and efficiency, speed up the processing of online applications for permits and registration, and enable on-the-spot recording of food samples obtained during inspections, Gundu Rao also provided smart gadgets to food safety authorities.
Rao said, “Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will conduct monthly tests on specific food items. In July, the department focused on fruits and vegetables, while in August, they collected samples of khova, paneer, and cake, with the analysis still underway.
Among the 385 fruit and vegetable samples collected in July, 239 were deemed safe, while 27 were found unsafe due to high levels of pesticide residue and fungal contamination.”
The department has tested 8,418 food samples since April, and 96 of those samples have been filed as court proceedings. 132 establishments were fined Rs 4.93 lakh for not upholding hygienic requirements.
Additionally, the department filed 96 cases with the court, all of which are pending. Kebabs and gobi manchurian, two popular street meals, were the focus of the inspection efforts.
31 of the 211 gobi manchurian test samples had artificial colors that were dangerous, whereas the remaining 178 samples were safe.
Similarly, 78 out of 275 kebab test samples were found unsafe due to the presence of artificial colouring agents.
Rao said that on August 30 and 31, upcoming inspections will target hotels and restaurants across districts and taluks, with a statewide drive planned to collect food samples of meat, fish, and eggs.
So far, 106 cases involving violation of food safety have been resolved in court thus far, with fines and jail time as penalties. In July, permits for four food establishments—including KFC—were suspended due to violations of the Food Safety and Quality Act.
Date : 1 September 2024 (Sunday)
Time : 10 am to 05 pm
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