FSSAI to replicate Gujarat model to ensure street food safety

Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) is planning to replicate the Gujarat model to ensure street food safety in eight cities including Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata among others.

This apart, a senior official of FSSAI said here on Thursday that of the Rs 4,500 crore sanctioned by the Centre under the 12th Five Year Plan, 70 per cent would be given to states to develop infrastructure facilities which includes setting up of food testing laboratories.

"Gujarat has shown leadership in developing a collborative model to ensure enforcement of quality amongst street food vendors. We are thinking of replicating the model in other major cities as well," said Surender Singh Ghonkrokta, director, enforcement, FSSAI.

He was talking at the sidelines of a seminar on enforcement of food safety organised as a precursor to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Ghonkrokta was referring to the street food vendors at Law Garden area of the city. The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has joined hands with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to ensure safety standards of the food served here as well maintaining of hygiene by the food vendors.

According to industry estimates, nearly 80 per cent of consumers in India access street food.

Meanwhile, the FSSAI is planning to dole out funds to help set up accredited food testing laboratories across the country.

"There are over 640 districts across India, and we are planning to have at least one accredited testing laboratory for every five districts."

He also added that with the new Food Safety and Standard Act-2006 coming into effect, the number of licensees under its fold could go upto 40-50 lakh, from the current 3.5 odd lakh.

"We have decided that any operator with a turnover of over Rs 12 lakh will have to take a license from the FSSAI,", Ghonkrokta added.