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Amid Coronavirus Outbreak FSSAI to Release Hygiene Ratings for Fish and Meat Shops

Citing the coronavirus epidemic, FSSAI will improve sanitation at slaughterhouses. Amid coronavirus outbreak FSSAI to release hygiene ratings for fish and meat shops. First mandatory regulation for meatshops in India is to register and apply for FSSAI license.

Auditing of Slaughterhouses

FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal expressed his concerns over the poor hygiene of meat markets. The origination of the virus from the meat market in Wuhan has alarmed India’s food regulator as hygiene in the Indian meat market already suffers. As a result, FSSAI has been auditing slaughterhouses for the last six months.

FSSAI Inspection in Progress

The auditing of all government slaughterhouses is complete. However, an inspection of 5,440 private slaughterhouses is still in progress. FSSAI declared that though there is no impact of coronavirus in the country, necessary steps must be taken. Hence, it is making efforts to improve the efficiency of fish and meat markets in the country. Further, officials are inspecting fish markets in coastal areas of Udupi, Mangaluru, Uttara Kannada. Also, Deputy Commissioner FSSAI (Karnataka) confirmed of sending notices to meet shops regarding not adhering to FSSAI regulations.  

The death toll has risen to 1,750 in Hubei Province and has infected around 70,500 people across the world. Further, the virus has severely affected trade and tourism as many countries have suspended flights to China.

Number of Labs and Offices

FSSAI chairperson announced setting up of new offices to boost the process. Further, the regulator has decided to open six new branch offices, four new import offices and two new food laboratories. This will help to achieve results efficiently. FSSAI will set up new branch offices in:

  1. Bhopal
  2. Chandigarh
  3. Ahmedabad
  4. Bengaluru
  5. Visakhapatnam
  6. Hyderabad.

Further, Attari, Kandla, Krishnapatnam and Raxaul Ports will have its new import offices. Besides, it plans to establish two new food laboratories at JNPT Mumbai and Chennai Ports. 

As for now, it has four regional offices in

  1. New Delhi
  2. Mumbai
  3. Chennai
  4. Kolkata

In addition to regional offices FSSAI has 12 branch offices. Also, it has four national food laboratories at Kolkata, Ghaziabad (Delhi NCR), Mumbai JNPT and Chennai and six import offices.

In all, keeping hygiene can protect one from the deadly disease and hence inspection of slaughterhouses is necessary. 

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