Feb 18, 2020
Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has stepped up efforts to improve hygiene and sanitation in the country’s meat and fish markets because of the deadly coronavirus disease originating from a meat market at Wuhan in China.
India’s regulator has concerns over poor hygiene in the meat and fish sector. FSSAI has been auditing slaughterhouses for the last six months.
The audit of government slaughter houses has been completed. The third party sample audit of 5,500 private slaughter houses is underway, of which around 60 have been audited so far.
The FSSAI will soon start hygiene rating of fish and meat shops in the country.
There is no impact of coronavirus, but FSSAI is trying to improve hygiene and sanitation efficiency in meat and fish markets.
Hygiene in the country’s fish and meat markets is “not good” and since the death toll from China’s coronavirus epidemic has risen immensely, FSSAI is taking no risk.
Earlier, FSSAI chairperson Rita Teaotia announced that the regulator has decided to set up six new branch offices, four new import offices and two new food laboratories as part of its effort to boost in-house capacity.
With this, FSSAI will have four regional offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, 12 branch offices and 6 import offices.
With this, FSSAI will have four regional offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, 12 branch offices and 6 import offices.