Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, May 17: “All stakeholders across the nation who deal with food trading will come under the purview of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006 and August 4, 2012, is the cutoff date for obtaining fresh licenses from the food safety officer of the respective districts,” said Ujjwal Kumar, country head, M/s CQM Quality Management Pvt Ltd, while delivering his speech at a training programme on ‘Food Safety and Standards Act 2006’ organized by Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mangalore, at the meeting hall of the chamber building on Wednesday May 16. He said that only four to five documents are required for obtaining the licenses and getting it registered.
 
He added that through this Act, the government had made the checking on food safety a structured procedure. Earlier, there were many acts related to food safety like Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 , Fruit Products Order 1955, Meat Food Products Order 1973, Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order 1947, Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1988, Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order 1967, and Milk and Milk Products Order 1992, which will be repealed after enforcement of the FSS Act 2006.

 
Kumar detailed that the Act also aimed at checking imports of food products from foreign countries which would have been pleasingly packed, but hygiene factors are paid the least attention.
 
He said that in the food chain system, from production to consumption, except farmers and consumers, all deals with the food business come under this Act and even catering business has been included in the act. He added that this Act will bring a ‘sea change’ in food safety. Latha R Kini, president of KCCI, welcomed.