Food Safety Authority cracks down on illegal meat shops, wet markets in Assam

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], July 24 : Following Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation's (FIAPO) appeal, Food Safety and Standards Authority of Assam (FSA) has cracked down on illegal wet markets and meat shops in Assam, the state currently striving the flood.
Commissioner of Food Safety, Assam, has asked all designated officers to obtain a mandatory license for food businesses operators engaged in meat.
FSA took this decision in response to a complaint filed by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO).
Specific hygienic and sanitary practices have also been enforced for those engaged in processing, storing and selling of meat-based products. Cases of the African Swine Flu (ASF) had also been reported from the state in which approximately 17,000 pigs died.
Varda Mehrotra, Executive Director of FIAPO, said, "Illegal meat shops and wet markets are ground zero for contagious diseases owing to their extremely unhygienic conditions.
They flout all rules and norms for protecting public health, animal welfare, and environmental concerns. The crackdown in Assam is very welcoming, especially since the state is battling against the pandemic and African Swine flu."
Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also strongly recommended the public to consume more nutrient-rich 'plant-based foods' via its social channels.
FIAPO had submitted a detailed recommendation note backed by scientific evidence to FSSAI urging them to promote plant-based food as an immunity builder during the COVID-19 pandemic, under the Eat Right Movement led by FSSAI.