Farm to plate approach can lessen chances of food contamination: Shridhar Venkat

Interview with CEO, Akshaya Patra

A recent study has shown that street food in New Delhi contains traces of faecal matter. This comes hot on the heels of the Maggi noodles controversy that has spurred a debate on food safety. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO that provides mid-day meals to underprivileged children in government schools, recently launched a food testing laboratory in Gujarat. In an email interview, Shridhar Venkat, CEO, Akshaya Patra, shares his views on standardisation and safety norms for food with Manavi Kapur

With recent reports of faecal matter found in street food and controversies around certain packaged foods, is Delhi particularly notorious for poor hygiene, or is this the case across the country?

Hygiene is definitely an important aspect to ensure the food is safe for consumption. The issue is not necessarily limited to one city or product, but plays itself out at a larger level. Food establishments and consumers need to be vigilant at all times to tackle this. At Akshaya Patra, we follow and comply with the ISO 22000 standard and FSSAI requirements and deliver safe, hygienic and nutritious to our children at schools every day.

If we go by studies that are being published, no food is completely safe to consume. How can one ensure that what one eats is safe?

It is good to know about the organisation with respect to standards it follows or adopts in general. Check for the certifications such as Agmark, FPO mark and FSSAI mark before consumption. Such certifications usually mean that food has gone through multiple quality tests, which is important, especially for food that will be kept in storage. A "farm to plate" approach can also help eliminate chances of contamination. Awareness about the ingredients that go into your food is very important too, for both safety and proper nutrition.

Water seems to impact food safety greatly. What are the other factors that affect the Indian food industry? Is there a need to change food safety policy?

Yes, it is true that water is a key ingredient and greatly affects any product in food industry. Access to potable and safe drinking water is a major concern, even major Indian cities. Since water is used for both cleaning ingredients and in cooking, contaminated water will naturally contaminate the food.

Other than that, I think that trained manpower, adequate infrastructure, cost-effective machinery, applied research and focus on quality output also play key roles in the growth of Indian food industry.

What are the specific health hazards of contaminants in food? Are there any long-term effects?

Food contaminants are broadly divided into physical, chemical and microbial. Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of food poisoning. Serious long-term effects associated with several common types of food poisoning include: kidney failure, chronic arthritis, brain and nerve damage and even death. Similarly, if the food is contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury, it can cause chronic brain damage and tunnel vision, among other things. Food with pesticide contamination can cause birth defects, endocrine disorders and neurological defects.

How can restaurants and establishments serving food ensure that the ingredients and water they use are safe?

In general, FSSAI gives us a very good idea on how we can ensure safe food is produced. When we talk about ingredients, we should procure them from a reputed supplier and insist on Agmark or an equivalent. Take the guidelines given in FSSAI and accept raw material only if they conform to those guidelines. Once you accept these, properly store the raw material and clean/wash it before use. Ensure you use only potable water for cooking/preparation of food. Check the water samples according to IS 10500 standards (drinking water specifications) so that you are sure about water quality and safe for use.