Patna: With food safety inspections being intensified ahead of the festive season, the Bihar health department has trained 26 officials to strengthen surveillance, crack down on adulteration and improve enforcement of food safety regulations across the state. The move comes amid heightened checks on food establishments and recent seizures of adulterated milk and dairy products in different parts of Bihar.According to a health department release issued on Wednesday, the 26 officials who completed a 40-day specialised training programme at the DNS Cooperative Training Institute in Shastrinagar include 19 AYUSH doctors, five sanitation inspectors and two vector-borne disease control officers. They were trained to identify misbranded, adulterated, unsafe and unhygienic food items, inspect establishments for compliance with food safety and hygiene norms, collect samples and initiate enforcement action against violators.The programme aims to strengthen food safety monitoring at the grassroots level by enhancing the technical and practical capabilities of field personnel. The department said the trained officials would play a key role in inspections, sample collection, quality checks and action against establishments flouting prescribed standards.The focus on milk and dairy products has sharpened as part of the ongoing drive. Food safety teams recently destroyed 72kg of adulterated paneer in Hajipur. In Darbhanga, 21 litres of expired milk and 18kg of spoiled paneer were destroyed, while in Fatuha, around 126 litres of formalin-mixed milk were seized and destroyed during inspections. A joint raid at a food supplement unit in Fatuha also led to the collection of six samples for laboratory testing.At the concluding of the training, the health secretary-cum-food safety commissioner Kumar Ravi said ensuring safe and quality food was a collective responsibility and stressed the need for regular inspections, surveillance and strict compliance with food safety regulations.He also highlighted the health risks associated with unsafe food and unhealthy dietary habits, particularly in the context of rising non-communicable diseases. Officials were urged to combine enforcement measures with public awareness campaigns promoting safe and balanced diets.The trainees were also provided copies of the Food Safety Act and Regulations to help them refer to legal provisions and procedures while carrying out enforcement duties.
