Stringent laws, exemplary punishment need of the hour

No fear of law

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The health authorities concerned at all levels — be it village, municipal corporation, district, state or national — should be concerned about the health of the residents and conduct periodic and surprise checks of the food products. There is no fear of law and bad elements go scot free even if they are caught doing malpractice. 

Gurmit Singh

Mohali

Fast-track courts needed

Due to corruption and lack of accountability, the FSSAI and health departments in every state have become non-functional. Countless adulterated and spurious eatables, drugs, and cosmetics are being manufactured and sold in India without any check. Such cases should be tried in fast track courts to award exemplary punishment.

KC Rana

Chandigarh

No enforcement of law

Frequent checking of food packets should be made and in case of any lapse action should be taken. There is no strict enforcement of law. 

Tarlok Singh

MHC, Mani Majra

Exemplary punishment should be given

It is the duty of government departments, both at centre and state-level, to lay down safety norms for every food item; educate people about their effects; ensure strict compliance and punishment to perpetrators of such heinous crimes. The manufacturers should be dealt with harsh punishment for playing with lives of innocent consumers.

Vijay Kumar Soi

Chandigarh

Improve food safety standards

Big manufacturers like Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Mcdonalds have all been in the news at one time or the other for wrong reasons. Consumers use sub-standard and adulterated goods. The FSSAI is there yet the consumer safety is nowhere to be seen. There is a need to improve food safety and more transparent food regulations.

SK Khosla

Chandigarh

Educate people

Maggi episode has shaken the faith of the general public in the MNC products. To check the occurrence of such adulteration in food products every food packet should display ingredients uses. The FSSAI should also educate the people through media about the harmful effects of such chemicals.

Janeshwar Kumar Jain

Chandigarh

Action must be taken against defaulters

Finally, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has taken steps to protect consumers . The regulator should begin scrutinising all processed foods. The regulator also needs to communicate with consumers and seek their feedback, complaints and act on them. The authority must take strict against defaulters. It should ban all products immediately which are harmful to consumers.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar

Mohali

Collect samples frequently 

All food products which contain such contents which if used more than prescribed quantity can be harmful for health should be listed separately. Health authorities should frequently collect samples of such items and tested.

Balbir Singh Batra

Mohali

Harmful products should be banned

Besides Maggi, there are scores of other ready to eat snacks, aerated drinks being sold in market. Authorities should collect random samples at regular intervals and if found unfit for human consumption, it must be banned and tough action against manufacturers should be taken.

SS Arora

Mohali

We have enough law, enforcing agencies

Presence of lead and monosodium glutamate has shocked the whole country. Unfair trade practices are not confined only to fast food. In the past we heard of contamination in soft drinks, use of chemicals for ripening of fruits and vegetables besides rampant adulteration in the milk products and food items. My conviction is that we have sufficient laws and law enforcing agencies to control and regulate the health safety standards. But our system is porous. These voids need to be filled up. The quality of the food items need to be checked regularly as well as by surprise raids by officers of integrity.

Dr Gurdev Singh

Mohali

Health Dept should be empowered

Health departments should be empowered to implement regulations strictly. Reputed certification authorities should be accountable for their manipulated reports. Celebrities should understand their moral responsibility and avoid misleading/unrealistic propaganda at the cost of consumer.

Bhupinder S Sealopal

Mohali

Deploy flying squads

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India should deploy flying squads on district level to conduct regular checks against use of harmful chemicals in eatables.

Tanveer Singh 

Mohali

Regulate sale of toxic chemicals

Supreme Court’s ruling depicts that even fruit juices need to be tested regularly for pesticide and insecticide residuals. There is a need for regular check on buyers of such chemicals and its sale should be through Government agency. 

Atamjit Singh Chopra

Mohali

Harmful items should be destroyed

Health safety standards officials should be prompt in checking food items. Harmful items should be destroyed and defaulters should be booked.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon

Chandigarh

Use traditional methods

The time has come that the clock may be reversed to make people realize that traditional foods like rice with broccoli, carrot and mixed vegetables have much better value than air dried noodles. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and heart health plus cholesterol lowering benefits. 

Harish Kapur

Chandigarh

FSSAI should be regulated

The functioning of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) needs to be controlled and regulated after the detection of excess lead and MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) in Maggi. All packaged products must bear a label displaying authentic ingredients used in the products.

Harbans Singh

Ambala Cantt

Regular raids needed

Regular raids on branded products and MNC outlets for samples are need of the hour to check burgeoning problem. A statutory warning on junk foods, advertisement panels and packets may be introduced as a safety measure. Awareness drive about what to eat should be held at educational institutions.

RP Malhotra

Chandigarh

Action should be prompt 

There are many products available in the market without basic and mandatory information like information on ingredients, date of manufacturing and expiry date. The Health Department officials should conduct surprise raids on shops regularly to keep such unscrupulous products off the shelves.

Mohinder Singh Dhiman

Mohali 

Random checks should be conducted

We have for long adopted the policy of “Chalta Hai”, bribery, corruption and neglect of wellbeing of citizens are not concern for the authorities. There should be stringent checks and tests followed by random checks for each food item and product.

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh

Open House Question

The enforcement drive by the UT Estate Office to clear the visual clutter on the facade of showrooms in Sector 17 in the name of heritage has raised questions about the need for the authorities to first set their house in order before asking the shopkeepers to follow the norms. Write your comments in not more than 70 words along with a passport size photo in the jpg format to openhouse@tribunemail.com