Food adulterators to be named and shamed in UP, says Yogi

Time of India

14-05-2025

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Lucknow: Calling adulteration of food items and medicines a "social crime", CM
Yogi Adityanath
on Wednesday said those found indulging in such activities should be publicly shamed with their photos displayed at major crossings in cities.At a meeting of the department of
food safety
and drug administration, he said identifying offenders and displaying their photos would deter others.
He also directed officials to take the strictest possible action against the culprits in such cases. "Daily consumables like oil, ghee, spices, milk and cheese should be tested, preferably at the production units. Special teams should be formed for intensive checks on milk and dairy products, ensuring continuous monitoring," he said.In addition to this, the CM said, professional blood donors should be identified, and effective control should be established in this area.
During the meeting, officials told the CM that in addition to the six major divisions in which food and drug laboratories were previously operating, new laboratories and offices were established in Aligarh, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Basti, Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Saharanpur and Devi Patan divisions. The laboratory buildings in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Jhansi were also upgraded.Three modern microbiology laboratories were set up in Lucknow, Meerut and Varanasi, where testing for microorganisms, protozoa, viruses, bacteria, mycotoxins and other pathogens can be carried out. Testing has already started in Lucknow and Meerut. The CM said that a corpus fund could be set up for the operation and maintenance of these laboratories. To control the trade of fake drugs, the CM directed the department to closely coordinate with the police department for better enforcement.FSDA implemented a password-protected barcode system to make the food safety process transparent and accountable, ensuring the confidentiality and impartiality of sample analysis, said an official. He added that each sample is tested digitally by scientists and is considered valid only after approval from senior officials. The department also introduced a mobile app called 'Food Safety Connect' and a toll-free number 1800-180-5533 on which complaints can be lodged.Officials said that investment proposals worth Rs 1,470 crore were approved at FSDA in the last three years, resulting in direct employment for over 3,340 people. An official said that an unprecedented increase in pharmaceutical manufacturing units, medical device production, blood banks and retail medicine sellers took place recently, and over 65,000 new jobs were created in retail drug stores alone in the past three years.