The provisions of FSSA are being strictly followed: Kamlesh Sankhe

One hears, sporadically of course, of instances when somebody went to a restaurant and unearthed a bug in their food. Or somebody purchased a bottle of soft drink and found a piece of plastic floating inside it.

But manufacturers and retailers of food and drink items in the State of Maharashtra are being more than careful, says Kamlesh Sankhe, Joint Commissioner (Food), FDA. Speaking to dna, he said, “Previously, the provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act only made it possible for the FDA to have more of a monitoring role. However, with the implementation of the FSSA (Food and Safety Standards Act) since August 5, 2011, the ambit of our activities has increased.”

Now that the FSSA is in place, he said, “It (FSSA) aims at overall improvement in the hygiene of food. It is more of a promotional act in terms of the quality of food that is being manufactured, distributed and ultimately consumed by the people.”

The thrust is on safe and hygienic food and drink being consumed by the people. “Right from the manufacturer to the street vendor, anybody dealing with food is covered under the FSSA. Nobody can deal with food without a licence. Plus, they have to guarantee that the food is hygienic and safe for consumption. In the last two years, we have noticed that instances of malpractices in food manufacture and sale have come down drastically,” Sankhe said.