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Food Safety First: Kerala Government Bans Food Packaging Without Date of Manufacture
In the interest of food safety, the Kerala government has issued rules prohibiting the sale of food parcels without labels indicating the time of preparation and the recommended window for consumption. Earlier, the Health Minister convened a conference of representatives of food industry outlets and restaurants in response to a spike in cases of foodborne illness reported throughout the State. This was one consensual decision made in the interest of food safety. Food that falls under the category of "high-risk hot foods" must be consumed within two hours of preparation, according to rules set forth by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The temperature should be kept at 60 °C when these are shipped to remote locations. According to a statement released by the Office of the Health Minister, cooked food is prone to degrade when left at room temperature for longer than two hours. This made it necessary to make new regulations in this regard. As part of stringent efforts to ensure hygiene at restaurants in response to recent back-to-back food poisoning cases, the State Government recently made health cards essential for all hotel staff. According to Health Minister Veena George, from February 1,any hotel or restaurant discovered to be employing staff without health cards would not be permitted to operate.
