CHENNAI: State health minister C. Vijayabaskar on Thursday held a review meeting with the food safety department officials and discussed measures to prevent sale of narcotic chocolates and ice creams near schools and colleges. The meeting also reviewed the inspection reports to check if cool drinks, chocolates and other food products are being sold beyond the expiry date, besides sale of chewing tobacco near schools and colleges in all the districts.
A total of 8,802 shops near schools and colleges were raided and articles weighing 2,648 kg were seized. A total of 82 samples had been sent to laboratories for testing and such raids in shops near schools and colleges are continuing, an official release here said. The licences and registration given by the food safety department, were reviewed, besides the food samples taken, their characteristics and the action taken on the sample inspection.
Vijayabaskar, who spoke in the meeting, instructed the officials to ensure availability of unadulterated food commodities. He said Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had banned paan masala and gutka to protect people from cancer. So, awareness should be created among traders on selling quality food products without adulteration. He also requested the officials to take preventive measures against outbreak of dengue as the south-west monsoon had commenced.
The sale of narcotic chocolate came to light when a 13-year-old boy Bharath, belonging to Patel Nagar in the city was admitted in serious condition on July 4. He was treated in ICU and discharged after a day.
