EDITORIAL: Food inspection should be made effective

 

Innaugurating new facilities in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, State Health Minister K K Shailaja had declared that all medical colleges in the State will be made mini cancer centres.

More cancer centres are necessary as the number of cancer cases are scarily on the rise in Kerala. The cancer threat has reached a point when cancer care facilities will also have to be incorporated in Taluk hospitals.

In the private sector also, facilities are expanded for cancer treatment. What is startling is, the number of cancer patients is also increasing with the increase of facilities. A number of patients are in queue for radiation in radio therapy departments.

Now, an in-depth study and research into the reason for the shocking rise in the number of cancer cases has become a necessity.

The opinion that totally-altered food habits of Keralites are inseparably linked to cancer disease is getting stronger and stronger.

The statement that use of food articles containing poisonous substances gifts Malayalis with several kinds of diseases is not simply made. Even food articles considered safe have been found to be containing poisonous substances at a dangerous level.

Experts’ warning is that poisonous contents are there in vegetables, fruits, fish and even tender coconut water. It is the responsibility of Food Safety department to ensure that people eat safe food. But whether it is doing that duty seriously is doubtful. They just conduct raids and inspections now and then for the sake of their existence. There a lot of proofs to show that vegetables and fruits reaching here from other states have residue of poisonous fertilizers. Also, the fact that stationaries reaching here are adulterated is not at all a secret.

When all such materials are uncontrollably being sold on one side, more and more new hospitals are mushrooming on the other side.

Meanwhile, the government is not able to ensure that people get poison-free food, despite the findings that cancer cases are increasing due to current food styles.

It is unfortunate that food safety is not becoming even a topic of discussion. The relationship between cancer and tobacco products is something that people have been hearing since long back. Despite strong restrictions, tobacco products are easily available even in make-shift shops. Banned tobacco products worth crores of rupees are seized every day. But still their transport, sale and use are taking as usual.

Reuse of oil used to fry food is dangerous practice but this practice is not brought under any examination. There was an announcement from Food Safety department that it would start steps to curb this practice.

The standing instruction is that food manufacturing units using more than 50 litre coconut oil every day should take special permission for this.

There is no guarantee on products that reach markets from here. Usually complaints are not given as no mishap occurs. Consuming fried and grilled items make people unhealthy easily, according to findings. This is a sector which needs constant checking.

Unhealthy food habits also lead to heart ailments and high BP besides cancer. When steps are taken to expand cancer treatment facility, laws on food safety should also be made stringent.