The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) will inspect vendors selling cold beverages, juice bars and ice-cream parlours across the city, ensuring ice used by these stalls are not using substandard and are safe for consumption.
"It’s the mindset of most of the food operators that they can fool consumers by serving them unhygienic foods as quality of food will not be checked. The FDA will conduct a special drive during summer to check on ice and other food products which are of substandard or adulterated," said an official.
Maharashtra FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Shailesh Adhao said the inspections were part of a summer drive. There are a lot of places that need to be checked continuously, he said, adding the department will collect food, ice and water samples for testing.
"Summer brings about a variety of illnesses with it. This happens because of contaminated water or food products consumed by consumers. We ensure that any substandard product found during inspection... we collect those samples for evaluating the quality of food and food ingredients used,” he said.
Moreover, owing to the soaring temperatures in the city, demand for cold beverages and ice creams increase. “For that reason we will start inspecting roadsides stalls, juice centres and ice cream parlours from next month,” he said.
“We have given instructions to our food inspectors who will be checking or inspecting these stalls based on the list of quality criteria need to be checked,” Adhao added.
Meanwhile, hawkers, juice centres, and eateries have been advised by the authority to keep a record of where they purchased their ice from.
Street-side stalls and joints mainly sell sherbets using various food colours and flavours; these places do brisk business. “These stall operators often compromise on their cleanliness and sanitation in order to keep prices as low as possible, and don’t keep good quality. The water they use for making their lime juice should also be testedsaid a health expert said.
The FDA has also urged citizens to file cases in case of adulteration or substandard quality and also ensure strict action is taken against them.
