Cerc For Checks On Foodstuff Imports

In a memorandum submitted to the Union agriculture ministry, the Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, has requested the government not to allow unrestricted import of food items without proper health and quality checks.

CERC added that without giving much attention to systems needed to ensure quality (like testing for communicable diseases and checking for proper labelling) the government is hastily allowing these imports. It warned that, considering the prevalence of the mad-cow disease in Europe, the issue was more serious.

The CERC also advised consumers not to buy imported foods unless they conformed to Indian food standards and also carried a