PRATIK PARAB
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been making all attempts to ensure that consumers get food and consumables prepared under hygienic conditions and that the strict guidelines laid down by the department are adhere to, in its preparation and presentation.
Despite its visible zeal, the ground realities seem different and the FDA will have to pull up its socks and get its act together if it genuinely believes in tackling this problem head-on, as there are still various areas that need attention.
Many feel that a lot of work needs to be done in areas of cleanliness and that the FDA needs to conduct more raids to deter the wrongdoers.
It may be recalled that the FDA has in the first weeks of August sealed several hotels and eateries across south Goa in areas like Colva, Canacona, Chinchinim, Margao and Fatorda. What’s more, even the canteen in the South Goa Collectorate was shut down by the officials on Friday.
FDA director Salim Veljee informed that the canteen was found to be operating without a licence from the administration and thus had to be shut down. Three restaurants were shut for lack of food safety licences, improper or no-treatment of waste water etc.
Among the serious irregularities that received prompt action were the use of excessive food colour in food preparations and the use of products beyond their expiry date. In fact, many outlets still continue to keep on its shelves products that have been beyond the date prescribed and ironically even some of the big stores and shopping centres fail to check this menace.
A sweet mart at Chaudi, Canacona was raided and wrongly branded food items such as snacks and chilli powder packets were seized and destroyed. The FDA also issued shut down notices to several outlets and establishments that did not produce proper licences of operation and relevant certificates.
In Margao, the FDA directed the closure of four restaurants after they found similar or more serious violations in the operation and functioning. Earlier, FDA had inspected seven restaurants in Margao and directed to close down four of them, some among popular names such as Navtara restaurant near KTC bus stand, Cafe Tato near Collectors building and Bombay Spice or Penguin near Margao municipality.
The FDA has been trying its level best to incorporate and promote safety in food and beverage businesses. A two-day programme to promote Food Safety & Nutrition in Goa was held in 2016 and rolled out the 10 initiatives of FSSAI.
However the Project Clean Street Food which was organised in Goa seems to have not taken shape and the raids and extreme violations are a example.
“There is a need for the full-fledged office of the FDA in South Goa as it makes a huge difference. In addition to that there is also a need to have increased awareness of FSSAI, which recently completed 10 years,” said the Convenor of GOACAN, Roland Martins.
There is a need for increase in the use of technology in the complaints and awareness mechanism.
Soon after the multiple raids, the FDA Directorexpressed disgust over the lack of hygiene and cleanliness in well-known hotels.
However, people too did not have good opinion about the functioning of several restaurants.
Abhishek Ganjekar from Margao said many eateries in Margao are in a bad state. What we expect from the eateries and small restaurants was to maintain cleanliness and use gloves while serving or touching food.
He also objected to the common practice in Goa of touching the food items on the table for checking if they are hot or not and said this needs to change.
