Food safety is a must
The controversy surrounding the import of processed meat into Jammu and Kashmir has left most of us baffled. The way some unscrupulous elements have been playing with the lives of the common citizens here for the sake of earning some easy bucks has made us realise that the entire matter could not have touched such mammoth proportions had there been a proper control and quality check mechanism in place.
Jammu and Kashmir and the Valley in particular, is hugely dependent on its supplies on other neighbouring states. Not only do we import vegetables, rice and other eatables, our main source of protein diet too comes from outside states.
Probably, this being the reason that the unscrupulous elements took advantage of the huge demand for meat products that they started to import the processed meat products by escaping all possible check and dumping the material here that was later fed to the common masses spreading across the districts
Now after the expose that made us to realise that not only have been consuming rotten and substandard meat, but the source of the meat to have been under the scanner.
Since the lives of common man have been touched there have been growing concerns over food safety which has sparked fresh calls for the establishment of a state-of-the-art, fully equipped food testing laboratory in the region.
Residents, traders and consumer rights groups say such a facility is urgently needed to ensure that adulterated or unsafe products are swiftly identified before they reach the market and end up in our kitchens.
The demand has intensified following a series of recent incidents in which substandard and unfit-for-consumption food items were allegedly found in circulation.
Public outrage over these cases has reignited debate about the absence of a modern, locally based testing centre capable of conducting rapid, accurate analysis of meat, poultry, dairy, and other consumables.
As of now the facilities to test the meat products are cumbersome and the entire system seems slow and fragmented. Samples which food safety officials collect from the market are often sent outside the Union Territory for advanced testing, which delays results and enforcement.
Consumer activists point out that the region’s expanding food supply chain—from local markets to large-scale imports—requires stricter quality checks to protect public health.
The proposal to ensure quality checks has also been welcomed by genuine traders who have expressed support for the proposal, saying that credible, timely certification would not only protect consumers but also build trust in the market.
Notably, strict enforcement of quality check mechanism will not prove enough to ensure that the people get genuine processed meat products. But, a mechanism needs to be established that will ensure regular inspections, stronger enforcement, and public awareness campaigns to inform the public about the measures that they can take to ensure quality of products is maintained.
Jammu and Kashmir needs its own modern food testing laboratory—one that can respond quickly, deliver reliable results and help restore confidence in the safety of the region’s food supply.
