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Amid festive season, Chandigarh health dept keeping eye on food businesses
The businesses have also been warned against adulteration, punishable with life imprisonment and/or ₹10 lakh fine under the Food Safety and Standards Act
The Chandigarh health department has issued an advisory to food business operators (FBOs) to maintain hygiene on their premises amid the ongoing festive season.
The businesses have also been warned against adulteration, punishable with life imprisonment and/or ₹10 lakh fine under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
FBOs have been advised to keep premises clean, free from environmental contamination and pest activity. All raw materials should conform to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) standards and should be sourced from FSSAI-licensed vendors only. Potable water should be used for all edible items and food should be stored in ambient temperature.
FBO staffers have been directed to wash hands before and after handling food, and after using toilets, coughing, sneezing, etc. Waterproof bandages should be used to cover cuts or burn wounds. Separate dusters should be used to clean surfaces and wipe utensils.
For preparation of sweets, only permitted colour pigments are to be used, such as carotenoids, chlorophylls and chlorophyllin, copper complexes, caramel iii- ammonia caramel, curcumin, and annatoo.
In case, consumers observe anything abnormal, they can report the matter to the department of food safety and standards, Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, or at phone numbers 102 and 0172-275-2128.
They may also raise their concern on the FSSAI web portal: https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/consumergrievance/.
The food safety department is also running a Mobile Food Testing Lab, where residents can get consumables tested against a fee of ₹20 per test. The labs are stationed at the civil hospitals in Sector 22, Sector 45 and Manimajra, and civil dispensaries of Sectors 8 and 40 from 9 am till 1 pm.