Ensuring food is safely produced, processed, distributed and consumed throughout the entire supply chain concerns all. The government agencies need to work hard to ensure that common people get safe food.
As per government of India’s written reply in parliament, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducts Surveillance activities in food commodities. FSSAI has conducted PAN India surveillance activities in Milk and Milk products, Edible Oils etc. In addition to ensuring compliance with the quality & safety parameters prescribed in Food Safety and Standards Regulation, efforts were also made to ascertain the degree of adulteration and to identify hotspots (regions) predominant in food adulteration, it said. Centre says post PAN India Surveillance, State wise non-compliance data has been shared with concerned Food safety commissioners of the States/UT’s for necessary action. Surveillance is done to identify adulteration in the food products
The FSSAI has already advised States/UT Governments to constitute District Level Advisory Committee(DLAC to assist and advise the Commissioner of Food Safety on food safety related issues.
There is greater perception among people that food adulteration is widely prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir and that no serious efforts have been made by authorities concerned to address it. In recent years, food contamination and adulteration have emerged as major issues with reports suggesting that hazardous agents have been found to have been used even in the food products.
As per WHO, an estimated 600 million fall sick and 420,000 others die every year after eating contaminated food.
There are over 200 foodborne diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food, it said. In worst case scenarios, these diseases can also lead to the development of cancer cells in the body.
The WHO highlights that children under five years of age carry 40 per cent of the foodborne disease burden, with 125,000 deaths every year. Also Foodborne diseases impede socio-economic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism and trade.
Recent studies have shown a sharp rise in dangerous diseases like cancer, largely attributed to food.
The SKIMS Soura has recorded over 27,000 cancer patients recently. As per the latest data, overall, almost 51,000 cancer cases have been registered in J&K over the past four years.
The rise in the incidence of the fatal disease is, therefore, a wake-up call. The administration has to take unscrupulous traders to task and expose the use of chemicals and dyes in food. Immediately, there should be a campaign to create awareness of the ways in which the food is adulterated.
