During his district hospital tour, Minister Paiwang Konyak, along with the Food Safety Authority and the Food Safety on Wheels team, inspected fish at New Market in Mokokchung. Samples of each fish in the market were collected to test for formalin content. According to the distributor, the fish sold in Mokokchung are imported from Andhra Pradesh.
Minister Konyak explained that the purpose of the inspection was to ensure the fish is free of formalin. He stated that the results of the tests would be reported to the department, and if any violations of food safety procedures were found, the government would take strict actions, which could include banning fish imports from other states.
He also mentioned that such actions could help promote local entrepreneurs, as fish would be supplied by local producers in the future.
In addition to the fish inspection, the Minister said that the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) team had been instructed to check the expiry and manufacturing dates on food products. He also noted an influx of foreign biscuits with labels that were difficult to read and emphasized that these inspections are necessary to ensure public safety. He urged civil society organizations, such as Ao Senden, to help disseminate this information to the public.
The Minister also visited a small pharmacy and a wholesale distributor, where he flagged the issue of non-pharmacists working in pharmacies. Along with the drug control team, he checked for the sale of drugs banned by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and other illegal substances.
The outcomes of the day’s inspections have not yet been reported. It should be noted that the results were not shared with the press due to ‘busy schedules,’ as no briefing was held.
The Minister and his team will be heading to Longleng-Tuensang-Mon starting tomorrow, 21 November, as part of their Phase-I tour.