The Kerala government has rolled out a slew of measures to improve food quality.
Mayonnaise made using raw uncooked eggs has been banned. 'Best before' stickers have been made compulsory for food packets delivered from hotels and restaurants. To introduce public oversight in the functioning of food businesses, a hygiene rating app has been created.
These measures were announced on Thursday by health minister Veena George.
Mayonnaise is an egg-heavy thick dip served along with popular snacks like burgers, sandwiches and French fries. The ban has been imposed on the basis of the scientific understanding that Salmonella bacteria could be present in uncooked eggs. "If someone feels that they cannot do without eggs, they can use pasteurised eggs to prepare mayonnaise," the health minister said.
The decisions were taken during a meeting the minister had with representatives of hotels, restaurants, bakeries, catering services, and way side eateries on January 11.
The meeting also decided to introduce 'best before' stickers, just like in branded packaged food products, on parcels given out daily by food businesses. The minister said these proposed stickers will have two important pieces of information. One, the time of packing. Two, the time within which the food should be consumed.
The representatives of food businesses have agreed to introduce the stickers.
Steps will also be taken to set certain hygiene standards in food businesses. "For employees in restaurants and hotels, health cards are a must," the minister said. "It is the responsibility of the management," she said.
The government has also mooted the creation of a food safety supervisor in all food outlets.
Further, the minister said a hygiene rating app, which would soon hit Playstore, had been created. The public can download the app and play the role of a watchdog.
Though the minister said that licensing and registration were of critical importance and were mandatory, Kerala does not have an efficient mechanism to ensure that food businesses are brought within a supervisory system.
Under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, licence is mandatory for any Food Business Operator (FBO) like hotels, restaurants and catering businesses with an annual turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh.
On the other hand, petty FBOs with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh, like small retailers, street vendors, or temporary stall holders, will have to register with authorities like the local self-governments or the GST Department.
Reality is, there is an inordinate delay, ranging from 60 to even 120 days, in issuing licenses. Under the FSS Act, licenses are supposed to be issued within 60 days of receiving an application. If this is not done without either rejecting the application or informing the applicant of certain insufficiencies, the food business can start functioning.
Problem is, when an such a business begin operations without getting a license, it will not be included in the database of the Food and Safety Department, thus remaining insulated from the scrutiny of the Department
The health minister on Thursday spoke about a state-level Special Task Force, a sort of secret service, to conduct quick checks on hotels and restaurants. This is also an acknowledgement of the abysmally low number of food safety officials in Kerala.
It is a fact that many food businesses are outside the radar of the Food Safety Department but even licenced operators are not subjected to adequate checks. A recent CAG report observed that less than 30 percent of food business operators with a turnover of over Rs 12 crore were subjected to food safety inspection. In the case of petty operators like 'thattukadas', the CAG report said that not even nine percent were being inspected.
