Uttar Pradesh has stepped up its drive to maintain food quality and guard against adulteration by invoking Section 56 of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) in addition to setting up a helpline.
Close on the heels of the chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, saying that there will be strict action against those who adulterate food in any manner (including animal fat and ‘dirty things’), the government has invoked the Act to require prominent display of the names and addresses of proprietors and managers.
The government will also undertake a drive to ensure that the identities of all employees working in dhabas, restaurants and other kinds of eateries are verified.
While some of the government’s directives – such as the mandatory wearing of masks and gloves while preparing and serving food, and the installation of CCTVs has been accepted as beneficial, the prominent display of names is seen by many in the food business as potentially dangerous.
The chief chef at a prominent Lucknow restaurant said that many of Avadh’s famed recipes were born and honed in Muslim kitchens. “The exact measurement of spices, the manner in which they should be ground, and the ingredients used are cherished family secrets. We have never faced any kind of discrimination from those who come to eat our food but the government is trying to drive a wedge”, said the chef who does not want to be named.
UP government’s directives on food safety have prompted circulation of videos, which, among other scenes, allege juice vendors spitting into freshly squeezed juice.
While inaugurating a floating restaurant in Gorakhpur a few days ago, the CM had said that it would be a place where people would not have to eat ‘spit-filled roti’. The reference is to videos of the past which have allegedly shown people of one religion spitting into the dough used to make rotis.
The invoking of the FSSA is significant because it gives the government the backing it needs to ensure its order does not fall foul of the courts. In July this year, after Yogi Adityanath had directed that eateries along the routes taken by kanwariyas display the name of the owners boldly, the Supreme Court has struck it down saying that orders could be issued under the FSSA and its authority could not be usurped by politicians.
The FSSA section in question prescribes punishment for food adulteration and a monetary fine. In case of adulteration leading to illness or death, such punishment could extend to a lifer.
In Lucknow, a mobile food testing lab has also been made available and a helpline number issued to phone in with complaints of adulterated food.