Health officials to check food items at railway station

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 6

To check the quality of perishable and packed food being transported to the city through trains, health officials have asked the railway officials to inform them before handing the consignments to receivers.

District Health Officer Dr Lakhbir Singh Baghowalia said they had a meeting with Station Superintendent and Chief Parcel Officer of the city railway station. “They have agreed to inform us on arrival of any consignment of perishable food items so that we can collect samples. The consignment will be handed over to the receiver only after samples have been taken to ascertain the quality of the food,” he said. Dr Baghowalia said the system to collect samples at entry points would save time and resources as tracking sellers afterwards would be a Herculean task.

Officials also held a meeting with the deputy director of the Dairy Development Department and general manager of Verka Milk Plant under the ‘Tandrust Punjab’ mission. He said the department had asked its inspectors to cooperate with the Health Department in checking the sale and supply of adulterated milk and its products. Sixteen samples of curd, cheese and ghee from several dairies and milk vendors have been collected so far. Baghowalia said samples had been sent to the food laboratory in Kharar for analysis. He said notices were also being issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, asking businessmen to improve hygiene and sanitation besides obtaining mandatory registration.