Appoint food analyst: HC
The Bombay high court on Friday directed the commissioner of Food and Drug Administration and secretary of public health department to hold a meeting and lay down a policy for the appointment of a food analyst. The HC also asked them to ensure that all food laboratories across the state are functional.
A division bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a public interest litigation filed by SM Joshi Memorial Association trust seeking its direction to the state to devise mandatory tests to be carried out by all the dairies across the state.
On Friday, government pleader Sameer Patil had informed the court that earlier, the method of detection of adulterous substance in milk-like sodium lauryl ethy sulphate, sorbitol, formalin, starch, salt, glucose, urea, etc, was not available with the laboratories. “However, the FDA has developed a method to test the presence of adulterous substance in milk,” said Mr Patil.
The court inquired about the number of dairies across the state that are detecting adulterous substance by using the method introduced by the FDA and directed the authority to take measures for the sourcing of the equipment. After being informed by the petitioner’s advocate that out of 15 laboratories in the state, five are non-functional for non-availability of staff and equipment, the court directed the state to take necessary measures to strengthen these laboratories.
The court also sought details of the recently sanctioned six mobile laboratories, which are not functional as of now, and asked it to make it functional by November 30.
The court directed the FDA to provide equipment for detecting adulterous substance to all the 369 dairy units in the state.
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