Health dept. warns against sale of ‘sub-standard’ food in Nagaland

Nagaland Health department on Thursday warned food business operators from “illegal” import of “misbranded and sub-standard” food items for sale of any form, adding that non-compliance would be penalised. 

Commissioner of Food Safety, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Y Kikheto Sema, said that sub-standard and misbranded items especially those imported from neighboring countries were being sold in Nagaland.

 ‘Our state is not a dustbin. We deserve to have quality material,’ he said, while interacting with media persons at the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Kohima on Thursday.

‘Despite the government’s standing prohibition notification on illegal import of misbranded, sub-standard and expired food item for sale, distribution etc, more food products are being smuggled or illegally entering in every nook and corner of Nagaland in violation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011,’ Sema stated in a notification issued on Thursday.

 “Therefore, in exercise of the power conferred under section 30(2) (a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act’2006, the undersigned to hereby prohibit the illegal import of food products, for sale, exhibit for sale, stored for sale or distribution of any form of adulterated, misbranded, sub-standard food products imported from foreign countries and states with immediate effect”, the notification read.

It warned the food business operators to desist from such illegal food business.

Non-compliance to this notification will be an offence, punishable with penalty under the section 51, 52 and 59 of the FSSA which includes penalty up to INR 5, 00,000, INR 3, 00,000, INR 10, 00,000 with imprisonment up to seven years, it stated.

It further advised the public and consumers to check the labeling provisions of the food products before purchase and to be aware and remain alert about such food products.

‘The designated food safety officers of the districts are to carry out inspection and sampling for analysis. The inspection will be conducted after the ensuing state assembly election,’ it said.

The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, section 25, sub-section (I) (i) (ii) (iii) states that “no person shall import into India any unsafe and misbranded or sub-standard food or food containing extraneous matter, any article of food for the import of which a license is required under any Act or any rule or regulations, except in accordance with the condition of the license, and any article of food in contravention of any other provision of this Act or any rule or regulation made there under or any other Act”.

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