The Hindu : Monitor quality of food products: Shanmugham

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Pondicherry

Monitor quality of food products: Shanmugham

By Our Staff Reporter

The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, N. T. Shanmugham (left), presenting a prize to a student at the third convention of the Consumer Coordination Council in Pondicherry on Saturday. — Photo: T. Singaravelou

Pondicherry Dec. 20. The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries (Independent Charge), N.T. Shanmugham, has said consumers should be aware of the standards prescribed by authorities regarding processed and unprocessed food articles.

Inaugurating a two-day, third convention of the Consumer Coordination Council here today, he said that apart from moral and ethical aspects of ensuring safe food products by manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers it was also important to regularly monitor and evaluate existing standards and the quality of the goods to ensure self-regulation in production and marketing of the processed and unprocessed food articles.

The Ministry was encouraging various projects and there could not be a dichotomy of standards — one for export and another for consumption — within the country. If the quality was not uniform the weakness was bound to percolate at some stage and it would also affect the quality of goods meant for exports, he cautioned.

Utmost care should be exercised to maintain quality. Consumers should also insist on quality of the products.

Mr. Shanmugham congratulated the organiser of the convention for mobilising youth in launching a consumer movement. The Ministry was taking the help of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation by utilising its information centres to disseminate quality consciousness among women in various sectors.

The Minister gave away prizes to students who were proficient in various competitions.

The Pondicherry Local Administration Minister, A. Elumalai, felicitated the incoming chairman of the Council, Bejon Misra, the vice-chairman, P. Duraisingam, and the outgoing Chairman, P. Muthukrishnan.

Mr. Bejon Misra, who presided, referred to the plan of the council to enhance awareness among the people of safe food and health.

Naveen Chawla, Secretary to the Department of Consumer Affairs, New Delhi, said the Centre was committed to protection of consumers, particularly in safeguarding the six basic rights of consumers as per the Consumer Protection Act.

The Secretary to the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs here, C.V.S. Rama Rao, was among those who present.

Launches software

Later Mr. Shanmugham launched the software on food quality literacy programme on the premises of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (Information Village Research project) at Villianoor, near here. He interacted with villagers on the Foundation programmes.

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