Food Safety deptt intensifies efforts to check food quality in Kulgam schools

Kulgam, June 02: The Food Safety Department in Kulgam has intensified its efforts to ensure hygienic food is served among school going children.
Officials said meetings have been held with the Education department and District Programming Officer (DPO) of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to ensure proper and hygienic food standards are maintained.
Inderjeet Singh, Food Safety Officer, Kulgam, told Rising Kashmir that they have ramped up efforts and held a meeting with the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Kulgam, regarding the ‘Eat Right’ and ‘Eat Right Schools’ Initiatives.
Eat Right School programme aims at creating awareness about food safety, nutrition and hygiene among school children, and through them among the community at large.
He said that discussions with the Education Department focused on midday meals, and Food Safety have urged them to ensure hygienic food is served to students in schools.
“We also held a meeting with the DPO regarding ICDS, and urged them to use nutritious food items such as fortified rice and we also took samples of the food being served,” he said.
He added that they regularly conduct market checking and recently visited Aharbal, an offbeat tourist destination, to ensure items are sold within the parameters of food safety laws.
Syed Nighat Hassan, Assistant Commissioner Food, Kulgam, said that they regularly take samples of food items under their jurisdiction to ensure hygienic and proper food or other items are sold or served to people.
She added that in the past week, they have taken nine samples, including midday meals and ICDS samples, which have been sent to the laboratory for testing.