The recent action taken by the Food Safety Department (FSD) against a snack manufacturing facility in the Abhanshah, HMT area, which resulted in the seizure of five quintals of namkeen and the sealing of the facility, is fully justified and welcome.
It will serve as a bold reminder to the public that, at least in part, the authorities take note of the problem of poor quality foodstuffs that overwhelm the market. However, while it is commendable, this single action is only a single drop in a significant and dangerous larger issue.
It underscores the need for a sustained, multifaceted attack no less than sporadic raids.
Namkeen is just one example of a basic fault in food security, and it pales in consideration of the borderline laws and regulations of imported raw materials, rotten meat, spoiled milk, toxic food colouring, and banned preservatives, propagated in unhygienic conditions, that any foodstuff is often treated with.
These types of crimes are certainly not victimless; these types of food are akin to poison, leading to both short-term food borne illnesses as well as the long-term systemic deterioration of health, which ranges from adverse events like acute kidney injury, malignancy, and systemic gastrointestinal disorders.
This raid should not be seen as the end of an effort, but as the beginning of one. It should initiate a series of investigations. Who are the suppliers of the raw materials? Is there a network of such units functioning freely on the outskirts of the city, away from public scrutiny? Sealing up one unit is a tactical victory, but you win the war by dismantling the entire supply chain that allows such activities to occur.
The public, of course, has a role to play. More information and demand for bills, and more questioning of the source of food. This can build-up pressure from the ground level.
However, the primary responsibility lies with the Food Safety Department. Its mandate should be fortified with more resources, more food safety officers and mobile testing labs to conduct surprise inspections and on-site analysis. The enforcement drives cannot be seasonal, or based on a complaint, they need to become a normal operating procedure; targeting food destructions or at alternative planned checks, targeted investigators, etc.
The deterrent also needs to be more severe. The penalties under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) should be applied with more severity. Fines are just treated as a cost of doing business by rogue operators.
