Dehradun: With food adulteration continuing to pose a major public health challenge, the Uttarakhand government has decided to strengthen food safety surveillance, expand testing infrastructure and intensify legal action against offenders.
State Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan recently in a meeting directed officials to ensure regular testing of food products, pursue pending adulteration cases more aggressively and put in place stronger monitoring mechanisms ahead of the Kumbh Mela in 2027.
Chairing a meeting of the State-Level Advisory Committee on Safe Food and Healthy Diet at the Secretariat recently, Bardhan stressed the need for a robust food safety ecosystem capable of detecting adulteration at an early stage and preventing unsafe food products from reaching consumers.
He directed officials to take strict action against those involved in food adulteration and emphasised that cases currently pending in courts should be pursued vigorously to ensure effective prosecution and deterrence.
To strengthen surveillance, the Chief Secretary also asked officials to create a dedicated corpus fund using financial assistance from the Central Government to support regular testing of food products. He also directed that adequate provisions be made in the State budget to expand food testing activities and improve laboratory capacity.
As part of these efforts, Uttarakhand’s second food testing laboratory is scheduled to be inaugurated on June 7, coinciding with World Food Safety Day. Officials were instructed to ensure that the facility becomes operational on schedule, thereby enhancing the State’s ability to monitor food quality and safety standards.
Recognising the need for greater public participation in food safety monitoring, Mr. Bardhan also directed the launch of a four-digit helpline number through which consumers can register complaints related to food adulteration and unsafe food products.
He further called for strengthening the overall food safety network by increasing the number of mobile food testing laboratories in addition to existing laboratory facilities. The move is expected to improve the reach of testing services, particularly in remote and rural areas, and enable quicker identification of contaminated food products.
With preparations for the Kumbh Mela 2027 expected to gather pace in the coming months, the Chief Secretary asked departments to begin planning food safety measures well in advance. He directed officials to deploy dedicated teams for testing and surveillance in the mela area to ensure that food served to millions of pilgrims meets prescribed safety standards.
Bardhan also underlined the importance of promoting the Eat Right Campus Certification programme, beginning with government institutions. The initiative seeks to encourage healthier and safer food environments in educational institutions, workplaces and public establishments.
Special attention should also be paid to the quality of mid-day meals served in schools and take-home rations distributed through Anganwadi centres, he said, noting that food safety in government welfare programmes directly affects the health and nutrition of children and vulnerable populations.
The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey, Additional Secretary Rohit Meena and other senior officials.
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