UNSUITABLE FOR CONSUMPTION - RACKET BUSTED

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

* Massive stocks of dated food supplies in market during New Year

* Warns of severe penalties

The Health Ministry has warned all food importers in the country that it would come down hard on those importing food not fit for human consumption. According to a Health Ministry spokesman the Ministry’s Imported Food Inspection Unit discovered massive stocks of unhygienic, outdated and contaminated food imported during the New Year festive season.

Such food imported at a rock bottom prices was traded making big profits. Among the past sell-by date food stocks discovered were 25,000 metric tons of decayed and unclean dhal, 18,600 kilograms of mango pulp, four containers (each 40 feet long) of tomato sauce and 16 tons of milk powder, he said. Under the Food Act No. 26 of 1980, the Director General, Health Service ordered the Customs not to release these food stocks and to arrange for their transhipment, he added.

A few weeks back it was reported that laboratory tests conducted last year by the Food Control Department of the Health Ministry found that 3,770 food outlets sell highly unhygienic food to the public.

The ministry filed cases against 6,800 such food outlets and collected fines totaling Rs. 21 million. The health authorities inspected over 15,000 food outlets countrywide last year during their inspection and tested food belonging to 12,780 suspected food outlets. All food outlets in the country required to strictly follow all rules and regulations included in the Food Act No. 26 of 1980. Violation of the Act is a punishable offense, the sources added.