Nagaland health dept to observe World Food Safety Day
Kohima, June 6 (MExN): Along with the rest of the world, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland through its Food safety division, will be observing, World Food Safety Day on June 7 under the theme, ‘safe food now for a healthy tomorrow’.
According to a press release from the department, the theme aims to stress that production and consumption of safe food has immediate and long term benefits for people, the planet and the economy. Recognizing the systemic connections between the health of people, animals, plants, the environment and the economy will help us meet the needs of the future, the department stated.
Food safety is a pertinent issue that has a significant impact on public health. It is estimated that every year, 100 million cases of food borne diseases(FBD) are reported in India and it costs $15 billion annually to the country and is expected to rise up to 170 million people per year in 2030 increasing one out of 12 to one out of 9 people falling sick on an average. These food-borne ailments not only pose a threat to the health of the public but also affect the socio-economic development of the country, it informed.
In Nagaland, the Food safety division of the State implements the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 (FSSAI) through the Enforcement and the Analytical wing. The food safety division is headed by the Principal Secretary (Commissioner, Food Safety) at the government level, the Principal Director (Addl Commissioner, Food Safety) at the directorate level, along with Director (Health), Additional Director, State Program officer, Assistant Commissioner (Enforcement) and Technical Officer ( Analytical). Implementation of enforcement activities is done at the identified three zonal level for the State by the Designated Officer assisted by the Food Safety Officers and Analytical activities is executed at the NABL accredited State Public Health Laboratory (State Food Laboratory) headed by the Food Analyst assisted by Technical staff, the department informed.
