Sambalpur: Food Safety Department Inactive, Officials Silent Despite Samples Sent to Lab for Two Months
Sambalpur: The Food Safety Department of Sambalpur occasionally conducts raids on various shops, collecting food samples and sending them to Bhubaneswar for testing. However, the reports of these tests are not arriving on time. Sometimes it takes 14 days, while other times, it takes as long as two months. This delay raises an important question—if the test reports are not coming on time, why are the samples being collected in the first place? Even when the reports finally arrive, no action is being taken, causing concern about the department’s inactivity. People are questioning how they can know if the food is unsafe when it takes so long to get results.
Street Food in Full Swing During Dussehra, But Safety Inspections Lag
During the Dussehra season, street food vendors have set up stalls all over the city, and restaurants and big hotels are advertising their food heavily. Despite the heightened food activity, the Food Safety Department has been notably inactive. Reports suggest that no significant inspections have been conducted. Strangely, the department doesn’t even have receipt books to issue challans (penalty receipts). This lack of accountability raises concerns, especially as no raids have been carried out at major locations.
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Rehan Hussain from Sakhipada pointed out that this inactivity highlights a serious lapse in food safety checks. Despite the requirement for all food businesses in the city to register with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), inspections are not being conducted, leaving many businesses with expired licenses. As a result, people are unknowingly consuming stale food, leading to rising complaints about food quality.
Restaurants Pose a Bigger Health Risk
The most alarming issue is with larger restaurants in the city. Numerous complaints have been filed about these establishments serving stale food, stored for days, to unsuspecting customers. Yet, no action has been taken against them. The only raids have been conducted on small fast-food vendors, with fines ranging from ₹100 to ₹200. This selective action has raised public concerns about the declining quality of food in the city.
Many are now demanding the establishment of a food-testing lab in Sambalpur, as currently, all samples have to be sent to Bhubaneswar. Even though previous food safety officers had proposed such a lab, no action has been taken so far. When asked about this, the current food safety
