With different food safety measures, Odisha has kept up its upward movement in the national food safety index from the 26th position in 2018-19 to 13th in 2019-20 and further to the 4th position in 2020-21.
This was known at a State-level food safety advisory committee meeting held on Wednesday wherein Additional Chief Secretary Raj Kumar Sharma outlined the issues for discussion.
Mahapatra directed the department to orient and train the street food vendors on preparation of safe food. He directed that the food vendors must be made aware about the dangerous effect of adulterated food on human health.
He also directed to strengthen enforcement activities against the adulterated food. “Adulterated food sale is a criminal activity like selling adulterated medicine and it must be dealt mercilessly,” he stated.
He further directed to hold district-level food safety meetings regularly to ensure sale of safe food by street vendors and food business operators. He also directed to collect intelligence on the quality of food being sold in towns from public and police sources.
Data showed that in 2020-21, total 3,049 food samples were collected and tested by way of surveillance and enforcement. Out of this, 576 samples were booked for adulteration and misbranding. By end of October 2021-22, total 1,984 samples were tested, out of which 446 were booked. Besides, total 280 cases were compounded with fines.