No Food Grain Imports to Go Through Safety Checks.

Amid instances of food grains import without phytosanitary checks, the Central government has asked port officials to ensure that no food grains consignments enter India without conforming to the safety norms.

“Instances have come to the notice of the Central Board of Excise and Customs, where phytosanitary requirements are not being implemented properly in respect of import of food grains into India by field formations,” the revenue department said in a communication to senior Customs officials.

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are implemented by governments to protect human, animal and plant life and health, and to help ensure that food is safe for consumption.

While India does not import any significant quantity of rice and wheat, it purchases about 3-4 million tonnes of pulses from global market.

The matter was also taken up with the ministry of agriculture and food safety and standards authority of India in order to put in place various statutory standards, and also ways to enforce them strictly and more effectively, it said.

The department has asked the officials to refer all consignments of food grains to Plant Quarantine authorities at respective points of entry for phytosanitary inspection before release by Customs. “These consignments of food grains will be allowed clearance only after getting a NOC from Plant Quarantine Authorities,” the communication said.

Besides phytosanitary norms, it is mandatory to subject food grain consignments entering India to pest risk analysis.

Source : fnbnews.com