FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENIC PRACTICES IN AGRICULTURAL MARRKETING

IN INDIA CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES IN PRESENT ERA OF LIBERALISATION

S.S.Randhawa MD,COSAMB.

Agricultural Marketing means the flow of agricultural produce and the activities undertaken after the production till it reaches the ultimate consumer

Food means any product that may be processed, partially processed or raw which is intended for human consumption including drinks, chewing gums, or any other substance used in food during manufacturing or preparation or during the treatment

Food safety means that the food is produced under the hygienic conditions so that it is safe / acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use and is the process to prevent and eliminate the food safety hazards

Food safety hazards mean any physical, chemical, or biological agents in food or the unsafe condition at the time of production or handling (value addition, processing or transportation) the food articles which have the potential to adversely affect the human health if it is consumed

Hygienic Practices mean the series of acts or measures undertaken consistently which are necessary for the safety and suitability of food at all the stages of food supply chain may be production, value addition (to fetch better price, regular supply even in off season and also to increase the shelf life), processing, storage, handling, transportation, distribution or any other activity performed till it is ultimately consumed

Food business means all the activities undertaken at any stage of production, value addition, processing, distribution or any other activity undertaken till it is ultimately consumed keeping in view the laws related thereto

Market means an area, may be owned, managed or developed by public authority or private person or in PPP (shared responsibility by public authority and private person), where the food articles are sold to the person engaged in food business through the number of separate units owned by different market functionaries, covering the wholesale as well as retail trade

Market management means the construction, management, maintenance of the infrastructure, and provision of all the services and facilities for the activities undertaken there, may be for profit or non profit, required in the process of marketing of agricultural produce in the premises of market established excluding buying or selling of the agricultural produce

Market management responsibilities

Selection of site and area required

-To construct buildings required and also have sufficient land for future expansions; - To supply the produce to the area and distribution to the distant and other needy areas economically; and -The local produce to be sold and other requirements to be met where from

Planning and designing of the market

- Keeping in view the public, private, PPP requirements;- To make provision for the infrastructure, services, for sale; value addition or processing; - Storage of the unsold produce; and-Reserve area for future requirements.

Provide, construct, maintain and manage the public areas

- Auction platforms for purchases and sales; -Display areas viewing the produce before sales;- Value addition facilities (cleaning, grading, standardization, waxing, disinfecting and packing);-Cold storage and cooling chain for distribution;

-Ripening chambers; and -Supply, maintain, manage and operate the equipments related thereto.

Provision of public utility services -Eatables, drinking water; -Shade; -Electricity / power; -Lighting and ventilation (preferably natural); -Sanitation ( sewerage, neat and clean toilets/wash rooms for the public); -Roads, parking; and -Stay arrangements etc.

Provision of suitable/reasonable space for persons to transact business - Display; - Sales; - Storage; - Rest; - Office; and - any other immediate activities to be undertaken before the sale and to store the unsold produce.

Control of waste management (perishable and sewerage)

- Collection, removal and reuse (if possible) of waste;- Noise and environmental pollution; - Cleaning, drying and disinfecting the market area daily for hygienic conditions; and- Maintaining the services regularly.

Managing the traffic regulation in the market

for the smooth flow of traffic to save the precious time

Control to avoid adulteration

to check the produce from admixture of different varieties, foreign particles, immature, damaged and rotten produce, and non edible materials.

Control on the sale of produce as per quality standards

to fix the quality standard for the produce to be sold

Dissemination of data

- Related to production; - Requirement of food articles (category wise);- Prices prevailing; and- Produce sold and in demand to meet the demand and supply of the area.

Provision of institutional areas

- For offices to run the market;- Other allied offices;- Public utility and in routine usable article areas; and- Provision of security and clock rooms.

Training and extension activities

for the seller, market functionaries, traders as well as bulk buyers

Private persons responsibilities

- Must bear the responsibilities and perform the duties assigned;- Provide all the equipments and other services/facilities for which they are charging;- Create working atmosphere and coordinate with all the persons visiting therein; ….contd

- Provide each and every information of the activities undertaken;- Maintain accurate records and pay the levies or services which they have used; - Adopt the food safety norms and hygienic practices; and- Obey the regulations to achieve the purposes of the project.

Main areas concerning food safety

- Non adoption/application of appropriate agronomic practices of production;- Use of un recommended and excess fertilizers and chemicals;- Use of untreated sewerage water, animal manures and organic kitchen wastes;- Irrigation with unfit or untreated waste water;

……. Contd.

- Insufficient infrastructure for storage or value addition till it is taken to market for sale; - Poor handling equipments for handling, packing and transportation;- Non availability of cool chain facilities;- Non availability of value addition facilities such as cleaning, standardization, grading, waxing, packing materials both at farm and market levels;- Poor sanitary and drainage conditions; ….. contd

- Free trade around the world;- Insufficient scientific facilities for value addition and processing units to consume the bulk and seasonal production;- Poor sanitary and unhygienic conditions at the

time of value addition and processing activities

especially for animal and dairy products;- Negligible inspection, research and extension activities; and- Change in standard of living, excessive travelling, awareness level and adequate communication systems etc.

Measures for the food safety and hygienic practices

Detailed project report for all activities

- Requirement of the project;- Population of the area;- Actual demand/quantum to be handled;- Supply and quantity of which produce/products from where, whether local or distant areas;- Facilities to be generated; … contd

- Area required for each activity and overall area and availability of the land;- Flow of traffic; - Eating habits of the locals;- Natural drainage and disposal of waste where, how and the means available; - Equipments and facilities required to meet the natural calamities; - Change in food habits, busy schedule of life and demand of parched or cooked food; …. contd

- Institutions to be accommodated; - Testing facilities to be provided;- Taste and liking of the market functionaries and consumers; - Local laws applicable there;- Availability of the raw material from where and how to be constructed, maintained and managed; and- Regulations to be adopted for the smooth functioning etc.

Site selection and required area

- Sufficient area for all the activities; - Free from traffic hazards;- Proper drainage system;- Smooth power supply;- Proper road and rail connectivity; and - Easy accessible communication system. .

Planning and designing

- All requirements should be met;- Each activity should be at suitable site; - Infrastructure should be able to handle the produce easily; and- Proper supply of all the services and utilities.

Allocation of premises to the entrepreneurs

- Suitably located near the sale areas;- Sufficient area to meet all the requirements; and - Easily accessible and approachable.

Construction activities of public, private and PPP buildings and infrastructure

- Should be in proper design to handle all the activities and sufficient quantity of produce;- Easy access for cleaning; - Lightings and ventilation(preferably natural); - Material to be used should be of best quality;- Must satisfy the safety norms; and- Infrastructure should be regularly maintained and repaired by trained personals.

Supply of equipments, maintenance, operation and replacement

- Must be of good quality;- Satisfy the norms; - Sufficient to handle the quantity and quality;- Regularly inspected by appropriate authorities and properly stamped;- Should be replaced at optimum time;- Only new equipment of the standard fit for the job is to be installed and used; and- Should be regularly operated, maintained and repaired by specialized manpower.

Hygienic conditions to check the food born diseases, growth of bacteria causing food poisoning and formation of toxics through - Environment - Temperature- Humidity- Ventilation- Contamination(direct or cross),

Cleaning, drying and disinfection

- Design should be such that it should be easy to clean effectively,- Natural slope to drain the water while cleaning; - All the premises, common areas should be cleaned regularly; and- Appropriate cleaning and disinfecting equipments and agents be available all the times when required to be used.

Regular electricity/power/services supply - Appropriate installations in required quantity and the place where to be used;- Alternate arrangements around the clock; - Optimum supply, inputs and required replaceable parts be maintained through the specialized manpower; and- Preference to natural resources.

Personal hygiene conditions

- Primary education; - Neat and clean toilets, hand wash basins and other public sanitation facilities;- Clothes of the work force should be separate than the normal wears;- Workers suffering from illness and infectious diseases not be allowed to work, and be given adequate treatment and periodical check ups;- Should work for genuine fixed hours only; and - Proper rest rooms and availability of good hygienic food in the community kitchen.

Disposal of the waste

- Waste might be solid, semi solid or liquid of perishables, other non edible by products, packing materials or any other material used in the process should be regularly collected in the fully mechanized covered containers and disposed off preferably for alternate uses; - Disposal areas should be at appropriate distance of the normal areas; … contd

- Appropriate type of containers and equipments be used for evacuation, disposal or recycling of the waste must be able to handle the quantum daily and also be as per need; and - Equipment installed be of good quality, maintained, replaced and regularly operated by trained staff.

Control of insects, pests, bacteria, viruses

- All activities be performed under hygienic and controlled conditions; - Use of quality raw products and additive; - Use of cleaned, sterilized, the required and recommended equipments only; - Control of humidity; - Storage of produce on the optimum required temperature; and - Optimum use of refrigeration facilities.

Provision of the physical, chemical, biological materials, gases and other equipments - Required to meet the food safety norms to save the produce from unhygienic conditions, and- Food safety hazards be prevented from entering into the food supply chain, if already present must be removed or reduced to acceptance level.

Control to avoid adulteration

- Regular inspection to check the produce from admixture of different varieties, foreign particles, immature, damaged and rotten produce, non edible materials; and- Provision of laboratories for spot analysis.

Research, training and extension

- Area wise research activities for the subject must be regular to meet the challenges of the supplies from the different corners of world; - Work force engaged in the food management system must be regularly trained on the subject; and- Extension machinery be extended for the door to door extension.

Appropriate regulations

-The centre/states must enact the suitable laws keeping in view worldwide scenario and implement forcefully for the food safety and hygienic practices for food articles;- Norms should be strict and acceptable for value addition and food processing activities; …… contd

- Regulatory authorities must provide a compulsory framework and regularly monitor the implementation; and- Control measures must be implemented in one go and in whole of the country.

Testing and certification

-Appropriate laboratories fully equipped for spot analysis be established in the market; and -A certification authority be there to issue the worldwide acceptable certificate.

Ultimately helps to provide

- Good health of residents;- Healthy working environment;- More employment generation and development;- Healthy competition to other nations;- Saving the expenditure and precious time in hospitalization and attending the patient; and- Better growth and economy etc.

THANKS