Fight against food adulteration: Punjab health minister urges officers to create demand for food safety vans

Chandigarh: Giving a clarion call to ensuring safe food for all as per the commitment of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Monday stressed on the need to encourage people to optimally utilise food safety vans to get tested their food to know what they are eating.

Dr Balbir Singh was addressing the gathering after inaugurating a five-day Refresher Training Programme for Designated Officers (Food Safety) organized by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in collaboration with the Government of Punjab at MGSIPA here. Commissioner Food and Drugs Administration Dr Abhinav Trikha, Advisor (Science and Standards) FSSAI Dr Alka Rao, Joint Director FSSAI Ankeshwar Mishra, Joint Commissioner FDA Punjab Dr Harjot Pal Singh Director Labs FDA Punjab Ravneet Kaur Sidhu were also present.

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh emphasised the critical role of food safety officers in ensuring safe food for all. “You should be the go-to person for people seeking food testing. Create awareness, especially among students, about the availability of food safety vans,” he said.

The Health Minister said that health is not just the absence of disease, but encompasses ecological health as well. Air and water pollution are alarming, and food adulteration is rampant, he added.

“Being a Health Minister it is my responsibility to make sure that the food people are getting is safe, not only people, I would say the insects, butterflies, they are also breathing the same air and drinking same water, and they also have their rights as they don’t have their MLAs, Ministers to speak for them, I have to speak for them,” said Dr Balbir Singh, while making a humble request to officers to do their job diligently.

He warned officers against connivance with anti-social elements indulging in food adulteration. “The society will forgive you for your ignorance but would never forgive for your negligence. You are duty-bound to protect people and the environment,” he said.

Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha in his address emphasised on the importance of refresher training of all the designated officers. He asked the participants to make this workshop an interactive session.

Meanwhile, Advisor Dr Alka Rao explained the role of FSSAI in developing standards of food products.