FSDA authorities to inspect food items at canteens in schools, colleges, hospitals

 

The Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) will now be inspecting food items at canteens of academic institutions and hospitals. The inspection comes in the wake of instructions by the district magistrate. A four-member team has been made to ensure the inspection is carried out at regular intervals.

The team will also be inspecting food served under the mid-day meal scheme. Taking into account the diseases that are common during the summer season, authorities said that move was to ensure no substandard product was being sold in these places.
"As per the orders of the district magistrate, Meerut’s FSDA department will conduct regular inspection and sampling of canteens and other shops in and around these institutions that serve edible items. It is peak summer time, there are chances of food items going bad. Those found violating rules and using such items will face the music," said JP Singh, chief food safety officer.
The FSDA department has already listed the names of the schools, colleges and hospitals in the city and will conduct regular inspections at their canteens.
District magistrate Pankaj Yadav, said, "I keep getting complaints about substandard food being served at schools, colleges and hospitals but they generally don’t come under the FSDA scanner owing to ongoing inspections in various parts of the city. However, now I have instructed authorities at FSDA to conduct regular inspections at these places."
Chandralekha Jain, principal, St John’s Senior Secondary School, said, "It is a very good initiative. We try and provide the best quality food inside our school canteen but the street vendors outside are the ones we cannot keep a check on. This step will not only help us see our drawbacks – if any – inside our canteen and also bring the street vendors under scanner."
On Wednesday, the FSDA department took a sample of boiled milk from the canteen of Radha Govind Engineering College and a sample of sauce from the canteen of Anand hospital.