Sambalpur: Diwali Approaches; Food Safety Officer on Leave, Unable to Collect Sweet Shop Samples
Sambalpur: With Diwali approaching, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) is facing a challenge as the food safety officer is on leave. As a result, sample collection and testing of sweets from the 19 wards under the SMC have not been conducted. Questions are being raised as to why the responsibilities of the absent officer were not assigned to another officer.
Sweet Shops See Increased Demand
As Diwali nears, the demand for sweets has surged in the city. Sambalpur has about 15 large and 20 to 25 small sweet shops, all preparing a variety of sweets to cater to the growing demand. In light of this, the SMC’s food safety unit has been conducting inspections, focusing on cleanliness, licenses, and ensuring that the sweets are fresh and free from harmful chemicals.
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Recent Training and Guidelines for Sweet Sellers
A few months ago, the SMC had provided training to sweet shop owners regarding the proper guidelines for selling sweets. The food safety unit has been checking if these guidelines are being followed. However, the current issue is that there are only two food safety officers assigned to two zones in Sambalpur.
Officer on Leave, Sweet Shop Inspections Affected
One officer is responsible for wards 22 to 41, where most of the large and small sweet shops are located. However, this officer is on long-term leave due to health reasons and is expected to return in February. Because of their absence, sample collection from sweet shops in this area has not been possible.
Challenges in Sample Collection
Although the food safety officer for wards 1 to 21 has been inspecting the licenses of sweet shops in the other wards, he has not been able to collect and test sweet samples due to technical and administrative issues. The SMC has assured that, despite the challenges, no instances of adulteration or defects in sweets have been found during the recent inspections ahead of Diwali.
