Food Contamination

Food contamination is a global problem affecting millions of people around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), food contamination is a global challenge causing severe health concerns and life threatening diseases. Food contaminants have several routes throughout the supply chain making food items unfit for consumption. From spraying of insecticides on food articles to artificial ripening agents such as calcium carbide, there is a lot to worry a general consumer. Drug and Food Control Organization has the prime responsibility of examining different food articles and implementing proper implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act. Many experts are of the opinion that there is a lot of confusion among masses over the prime agency responsible for enacting the law in the UT and shouldering the responsibilities. While the municipalities are known for sporadic response regarding health and hygiene check, there does not seem to be any mechanism in place to check the toxic substances that get mixed with the food articles sold almost everywhere in the UT. While unscrupulous vendors are making easy bucks by selling adulterated and contaminated food, it is the health of the people that is degrading with the passing of days. Most of the times the purposeless plan begins and ends with a food safety week where in authorities go on checking kitchen and food manufacturing units in few selected places. Whosoever is caught in that once-in-a-year exercise is made to pay a penalty and the matter is forgotten? It is no wonder that there is such a huge rush of patients observed in different hospitals who complain about infections and mild and severe food poisoning cases. Some very unhealthy practices are completely ignored by the authorities upon whom is fixed the responsibility of ensuring proper health care. Even civil society that could have done a great service by disseminating essential information on food contamination has turned a blind eye towards this issue. While people have been hearing about lack of infrastructure and testing labs in the UT, the concerned authorities do not seem to budge an inch. If the state of affairs continues this way, number of people suffering from sicknesses due to adulterated food is going to be a mammoth figure.  Ensuring the supply of safe food products is important to protect public health and the food industry. Food safety is generally compromised when food products get contaminated with a potentially hazardous and toxic agent. It is time that government takes to task different agencies which should have been on toes to see food safety act properly implemented in the UT.