Enforcement questioned as government fails to provide detailed findings or policy steps
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco acknowledged that the FDA had been proactive in conducting inspections but pressed for transparency.
MAPUSA
Members of the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday raised serious concerns over the safety of food consumed by the public, questioning whether adequate measures were in place to ensure food was free from harmful chemicals and carcinogenic substances.
However, the government response focused largely on routine inspections and legal action under existing laws, without offering any concrete assurance on food safety.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane informed the House that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) conducts regular inspections and sample testing across the State.
“Food Safety Officers carry out daily surveillance and collect food samples for testing. These are sent to our NABL-accredited FDA lab and FSSAI-approved third-party labs. Based on reports, legal action is initiated against violators,” Rane said.
He clarified that while the Directorate does not conduct "raids" in the traditional sense, it does undertake regular inspections to check for unsafe food practices – including the use of illegal fruit-ripening agents and poor hygiene in food preparation.
However, MLAs were not satisfied with the minister’s procedural explanation and demanded clear information on the actual findings and whether any preventive or remedial measures had been taken to protect public health.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco acknowledged that the FDA had been proactive in conducting inspections but pressed for transparency.
“What did your inspections find? What adulterated or hazardous food items were detected? People have a right to know what they are consuming,” he asked.
“Cancer cases are on the rise, and we believe it is linked to the food we eat,” he added.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao also flagged concerns about the repeated use of cooking oil by roadside vendors and asked how many convictions or penalties had been imposed after such inspections.
“Have you blacklisted habitual offenders? Are there any meaningful outcomes of these so-called checks?” he questioned.
Despite the growing anxiety among lawmakers over the link between food safety and rising health issues, the minister reiterated that legal action is taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including adjudication, criminal cases, and compounding offences – but offered no detailed data on outcomes or policy interventions.
The House was left without a definitive response on whether the food consumed in Goa is genuinely safe and free from carcinogens, as no specific findings or preventive frameworks were disclosed by the government.
