Food traders in trouble
I work in a Chinese restaurant and as an ordinary citizen of this country, I am very happy with this ongoing drive against adulterated food. But I think good and honest businessmen are also suffering because of no clear-cut policy for food business. I think the authorities concerned should sit and make some rules so that people in food business know what to do and what not to do. Many sauces (like Kikoman sauce, Fish sauce, Soya sauce), which are used in foreign cuisine and an integral part of food making, come from abroad and are widely available in market. How come these sauces are being sold freely in market without BSTI seal! And when we are using the same sauce in our restaurant, we are being fined and jailed! I am also very much surprised to see that there is no food-safety expert among the anti- adulteration teams. How a magistrate, who has no expertise in food, can decide which foods are adulterated and which are not? All the restaurants make some items like fried chicken, kebab half done so that they can serve the food promptly when the orders come. But restaurants are being fined for keeping food half prepared without which it is impossible to run business. So we are now in a great quandary.
I would request the government to look into the matter because millions of people are directly or indirectly involved in this business. Any rash decision will endanger many people's daily bread. Innocent and honest businessmen must not be harassed in the name of anti-adulteration drive.
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