Concern over flouting of norms by uuthorized food processing units

From our Correspondent

MANGALDAI, October 25: The alleged functioning of a section of uuthorized food processing and manufacturing units flouting the existing government norms, including violation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Legal Metrology Act, 2009, for a quite long time in the greater Kharupetia area in Darrang district has become a matter of concern for the consumers of the district. This allegation was proved right when the authority of the Assistant Controller of Legal Metrology, Mangaldai seized weighing instrument from the campus of M/S Shree Giridhar Food Products located at gajan area of Kharupetia  and owned by one Satya Deo Gupta .

According to the source of the Legal Metrology Department, a team of officials of the department led by Inspector Mukul Dutta on Thursday made a sudden visit at the campus of the food processing unit to inspect the verification status of the weighing or measuring apparatus in use. But the apparatus was found to be in use without being duly verified and stamped for the last 3-4 years.

The inspecting officer immediately registered an offence against the magement of the unit for violation of section 24 of the Legal Metrology Act 2009 and seized one non-auto electronic weighing instrument in presence of the custodian of the unit.

Moreover, the magement of business establishment reportedly also failed to produce any valid packaging license before the inspecting official and the authority was stated to have directed the magement to produce valid license of packaging under the provision of the Legal Metrology (Packaging Commodities) Rules 2011.

Meanwhile, the food processing unit, the me of which has been printed in the packets of some consumable products under the commercial brand me ‘Sam Amla’ and ‘Ameer’, has allegedly failed to maintain the minimum standard of health and hygiene, thereby creating  every possibility of serious health hazard for its consumers.

 The magement of the food processing unit recently engaged themselves in a physical altercation with a section of media persons while they were bringing to light the unsafe, unhygienic  environment for storage, processing  of the raw ingredients of the packaging  products in the campus surrounded by high walls but without any information board.  The doubtful character of the magement of the unit has already been brought to the notice of the Officer in-charge of  Kharupetia Police Station, the in-charge District Food Safety Officer of Darrang, Sanjib Boro and Joint Director of Health Services, Darrang, Dr Pronita Saikia for necessary move.