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Dimapur, June 7 (EMN): With the rest of the world, Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) observed the ‘World Food Safety Day’ on June 7 at the state capital by organising awareness programme for the citizens basing on the United Nations direction to promote global food safety awareness.
Speaking on the occasion, NVCO president Kezhokhoto Savi stated that the ‘World Food Safety Day’ is celebrated to reinforce the call made by the Geneva Conference and Addis Ababa Conference in 2019 on “The future of food safety.” According to him, the Addis Ababa conference was the first international conference on food safety. The conference had stressed priority to reach sustainable development goal and also supported UN decade of action on nutrition for an increased nutrition action from world organisations.
Savi also stated that the ‘World Food Safety Day’ is celebrated to draw the attention and inspire action to help, prevent, detect and manage food borne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economy prosperity, tourism and sustainable development. The day is also observed to promote food handling, preparing and storing it in a best way to reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from food borne illnesses.
Stating that the state government had implemented the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, Savi pointed out that as per the Act, ‘Food safety’ referred to the condition and practices that preserve the quality of food to prevent contamination of food borne illness.
Savi also stated that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FS&SAI) has regulated Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 for every state of India to ensure food safety and standards for human consumption and to check the sub-standard of any article of foods in every state by food safety officer. He pointed out that slaughterhouse should maintain proper hygiene and be regularly checked by the concerned doctor before given for human consumption.
Savi also stated that under the Consumer Protection Act 1986, consumers have the right to safety and are protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life. He added that goods which are hazardous to health is illegal and punishable.
As Nagaland has level-2 laboratory, which is the first in the entire Northeast worth INR 10 crore, fully funded by FSSAI at the State Public Health Laboratory in Kohima, Savi suggested the food business operators (FBOs) to come forward and get their products/ food items/ samples tested before they are sold to the consumers.
“It is no point to have all the modern food testing facilities if the citizens don’t come forward to avail the facilities and now the enforcement wing of State Public Health Laboratory has to work harder so as to keep the analysis wing led by food analyst busy in analysing all parameters under Food Safety and Standard Act,” Savi said.Savi added that NVCO has been conducting awareness campaign on “Food safety” for the last several years and assured the public to continue the same in spreading awareness on food safety.