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“FDCA plans to include food safety as a chapter in children’s studies”
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Monday, 31 January, 2022, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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 FDCA, Gujarat, is achieving new milestones in food safety under active guidance and support of State Health Minister Rishikesh Patel and ACS Health Manoj Aggarwal. Dr Hemant Koshia, Commissioner of Food & Drugs Control Administration, Gujarat, discusses the progress made by the Gujarat FDCA with regards to licences and registrations of FBOs, Eat Right India Movement, Mobile Food Testing Labs, and lots more, in an email interview with Manjushree Naik. Excerpts:
Gujarat is at the forefront in licensing and registration of FBOs. Comment.
In Gujarat, currently, there are around 3,00,000 licences and registrations which are 6 times higher than PFA (Prevention of Food Adulteration Act) times.
To increase the licences/registrations in the state, camps and drives are being arranged in timely manner. The FBOs are also sensitised by IEC activities.
Further, Designated Officer (DO) monitors the status of the licences and registrations and coordinates with Senior Food Safety Officer (SFSO), and Food Safety Officer (FSO), for the same on almost daily basis. The DO also keeps note of expiring licences and registrations and serves the notices to FBOs. FSO and SFSO in the field keep surveying for the non-registered Food Business Operators (FBOs) and the same communicates with DO.
Also, Commissioner of Food Safety (CFS) from time to time conducts drive of licences and registrations in the districts to help the FBOs and continuously monitors the status of licences and registrations in the state and communicates with DOs.
Gujarat is also known for its initiatives like clean street food hub and open kitchens. Elaborate.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated the Eat Right India Movement based on three key themes viz. Safe Food, Healthy Diets and Sustainable Diets.
The Eat Right Challenge (ERC) is a part of Eat Right India Movement envisioned as a competition among the districts and cities to recognise their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India, and Rs 5 lakh seed funding is provided to all the participant cities/ districts.
FDCA, Gujarat, implements all the initiation from FSSAI with an aim for safe, wholesome and hygienic food for the people of Gujarat.
We, generally, see that in star rated hotels and restaurants, the food served is prepared by trained and highly qualified staff which maintains safety and hygiene of the food. In the year 2011-12, FDCA, Gujarat, has envisaged training of the street vendors so that food safety and hygiene can be maintained for normal people who buy and eat food from street vendors. Training of these street vendors can effectively level up food safety in the state. The success story was shared with FSSAI, New Delhi, and they implemented it as a Clean Street Food Hub for the whole nation.
By implementing the open kitchen concept, FDCA, Gujarat, wants to empower consumers so that they have their choice to eat where food safety is prioritised and the feedback given will also improve the food safety standards at FBO’s place.
In lab infrastructure, Gujarat is known for mobile labs and more. Give us details.
Food and Drugs Control Administration, Gujarat, was the first to develop idea regarding mobile food testing laboratory in the year 2013, which was later redeveloped and reconstructed by FSSAI in the form of FSW i.e., Food Safety on Wheels.
Food Safety on Wheels is a very much successful concept in Gujarat. At present, nine Food Safety on Wheels are working continuously for surveillance, testing and awareness activities in not only city areas but also remote and rural areas.
FSW in Gujarat targets 3 criteria for which it is highly equipped.
- Surveillance
- Testing
- Training/ Awareness/ IEC Activities
We target proper and systematic vigil against above listed criteria. As FSW is equipped with a milko-screen machine also, it visits dairies/ unions/companies of milk and checks the quality and standards of milk, on the spot.
It is also provided with kits used to detect aflatoxins, which gives on the spot accurate results and hence we can stop adulterated or substandard milk in the market.
Some 102 tests can be performed by Magic Box provided in FSW, in addition Total Polar Compounds (TPCs), in Cooking oils, Microbiological testing, Water testing, are performed by FSW.
Gujarat is in process to get 13 more FSWs from FSSAI, New Delhi, to increase the surveillance, awareness and training activities.
Manpower crunch is a major issue across FDAs. How is Gujarat coping with the situation?
FDCA, Gujarat, has adequate manpower of 300 officers in the Food Safety Team for the population of around 6 crore. FDCA, Gujarat, is one of the leading states in maintaining food safety and standards which became possible with extensive use of modern technologies to speed up work. To cope with manpower crunch, also allot works to handle tasks efficiently and complete in a timely manner.
Regulations are constantly undergoing changes. What is Gujarat doing to ensure that FBOs are in tune with the latest regulations?
Food science is an evolving science and hence, regulations of food need to be revised to improve their quality and to keep up with international regulations. To cope with FSSAI defined standards, FDCA, Gujarat, approaches associations, unions, cooperative societies, dairies and standalone FBOs and trains and sensitises them as per their food commodity. FDCA, Gujarat, also takes enforcement routes to ensure the correct implementation of the regulations.
The product approval process still leads to confusion. What is Gujarat doing in this regard?
Product approval is needed in case of proprietary food and food ingredients that do not have their prescribed standards defined by FSSAI, New Delhi. Hence, it needs to be approved by the FSSAI. The FDCA, Gujarat, does handholding of FBOs that need product approval.
What more can be done for the smoother implementation of FSS Act?
For smoother implementation of FSSA, 2006, FDCA, Gujarat, carries out awareness and training drives for the FBOs so that they can understand and comply with the Act and their regulations effectively. FDCA, Gujarat, utilises FSWs to do awareness and training and also utilises modern platforms to reach out to the FBOs.
What new initiatives are you planning in the future?
Government of India, Government of Gujarat and FDCA, Gujarat is committed for public health to effective enforcement of food safety and we want to ensure that every citizen gets safe and wholesome food and for that FDCA, Gujarat, has planned many new initiatives.
FDCA, Gujarat, envisaged a culture where children can learn and understand about food safety from their early years and hence plans to create awareness programmes for children as well as include it as a chapter in their study in co-ordination with the Education Department.
FDCA, Gujarat, also wants to inform people about the results of the drawn sample so that they can use or avoid the food product entirely. This can force FBOs to improve their food products’ standards.
Currently, in Gujarat, the percentage of unsafe food is 0.6% and committed to decrease it further through strict enforcement and modern technology.
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