Damodar Rajanarsimha flags off ‘Eat Right – Stay Healthy’ food safety walkathon
Hyderabad: Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha flagged off the ‘Eat Right – Stay Healthy’ food safety walkathon in Hyderabad, calling for stronger action against adulteration and unhealthy food habits.
He launched the rally at Jal Vihar, which saw participation from around 1,000 students and youth. The walkathon began at Jal Vihar and proceeded to HMDA Grounds near IMAX.
Senior officials, including Principal Secretary Christina Z Chongthu, City Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, Food Safety Commissioner Sangeeta Satyanarayana, and Collector Anudeep Durishetty, joined the walk. Their presence underscored the government’s focus on food safety.
Food safety drive highlights risks of adulteration and lifestyle changes
Further, Rajanarsimha said changing lifestyles increased dependence on outside and processed food. As a result, the food industry expanded rapidly, especially in urban areas.
He said the state had around 1.41 lakh food business establishments, with nearly 80 per cent located in cities. However, he raised concerns over rising cases of adulteration and use of substandard ingredients.
He said adulteration in items such as salt, pulses, tamarind, sugar, and tea powder caused serious health risks. Moreover, poor-quality oils contributed to long-term illnesses.
The Minister said such practices led to gastrointestinal problems and also increased non-communicable diseases. These included diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney issues, and obesity.
Meanwhile, he noted that Hyderabad witnessed a growing burden of such diseases. Therefore, he stressed the need for awareness and preventive action.
He said the government conducted over 11,000 inspections in the past two years. In addition, authorities took strict action against violators.
Further, he said officials would intensify enforcement with a zero-tolerance approach. To strengthen systems, the government recruited 24 food inspectors and deployed five mobile testing vehicles.
He added that authorities would set up three new regional food testing labs in Nizamabad, Hanumakonda, and Mahabubnagar at a cost of ₹15 crore. Meanwhile, he said the government planned a dedicated mechanism for food safety on the lines of the EAGLE system.
He said the Chief Minister directed strict action with no compromise on public health. At the same time, he stressed that ensuring safe food required joint responsibility.
He urged citizens to adopt healthy food habits and follow the message “Eat Right – Stay Healthy.”