TRADERS in the city use stickers to make their product look premium or sometimes to hide any defect on the product. Tested Ok, Good Quality or Name of Product are some common terms mentioned on the stickers which do not have any significance at all. Such stickers are not necessary to put on display as there is no fruit and vegetable brand in the country.

 

In a notification issued recently to all district health officers and food safety teams, the State Food Commissioner has made it mandatory that from now onwards, fruits and vegetables with stickers applied on them should not be sold in the market. However, unaware about the guidelines, fruit and vegetable suppliers, vendors and retailers are still selling fruits and vegetables with stickers on them. However, if you still buy fruits and vegetables with stickers from the market, then stop. FSSAI has said that stickers fruits and vegetables are dangerous for health. This instruction of FSSAI will now be followed in the state capital as well.

 

The Food and Drug Administration Department is going to start a campaign against food items, especially fruits and vegetables in the city. Before the action, wholesale and retail traders have been instructed that they do not sell such fruits and vegetables. It has also been made clear that even after this, if stickers or wax is found in fruits and vegetables, then action will be taken on the concerned people under the FSSAI Act.

 

On the instructions of top officials, a special investigation campaign will be carried out in all the major Haat markets and markets of the city from the first week of December. Samples of fruits and vegetables will be taken in it.Senior Food Inspector (Bhopal) D K Verma said that people are constantly getting complaints about fruits and vegetables in the city. An action plan is being prepared by taking directions from top officials. All vegetables and fruit vendors have been told by the department not to use stickers and wax in fruits and vegetables at all. Along with this, it will be mandatory for them to write information related to fruits on the fruit box.