Bengaluru: With the spotlight on drug safety in recent days, the govt will soon set up a high-quality laboratory to obtain scientifically robust sample test reports, health minister UT Khader said Wednesday.He was speaking at an interaction on food safety with industry stakeholders organised by Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC).“We need to strengthen our drug-testing infrastructure and better laboratories. If a major company challenges a govt laboratory report in court, our report should be scientifically robust and defensible. We want to establish a high-quality laboratory in Karnataka. Until then, we will identify two reputed laboratories with which we can enter into MoUs for testing,” he said.He added, “We will also conduct random sampling from hospitals, pharmacies, including ICUs where necessary, and pharmaceutical companies to check whether medicines meet the required standards. This will help us establish what is actually being supplied to patients and strengthen the system.”Khader also said he had requested Centre to bring serious drug-related offences under stronger criminal provisions.Commenting on food safety, the minister said good practices should begin at home. He said the health department plans to issue a dietary chart when a pregnant woman visits a hospital, following which doctors will advise her on healthy food options for mother and baby.“With an intention to make their babies look chubby, many parents feed them all kinds of food, leading them to develop similar tastes as they grow. Instead of focusing on palatable food, we should feed children healthier food to prevent diseases,” Khader said.According to him, food safety is an important subject. “We need several changes. I plan to organise a national-level conference of food and drug safety officers and commissioners to discuss streamlining the system, best practices, loopholes and necessary amendments that can be suggested to the Centre,” he said.Meanwhile, industry stakeholders said they were ready to cooperate with govt enforcement, but the efforts should be sustained and transparent.“We have many hoteliers among our members, and while the industry is ready to comply with statutory requirements, we need a more streamlined, online system. Instead of excessive inspections, there should be clear SOPs and regular workshops. We have also suggested a white paper to gather primary data from the industry and involving industry representatives in an advisory board. These measures need to be sustainable. We have proposed quarterly audits by independent inspectors, with industry helping the govt create a panel,” said K Ravi, president, BCIC.V Pasupathy, national adviser, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), said, “Hoteliers have a duty to understand food safety laws in detail. FSSAI should be seen as an enabler, not a document meant to harass the industry. If understood scientifically, the regulations can improve industry practices, efficiency, profitability and global competitiveness.”
