Delhi Government’s Department of Food Safety is lacking in manpower with only 56 food inspectors doing the work of the sanctioned 273 inspectors. This means that the department is falling short of over 200 employs and that further implies that the 56 inspectors have to undertake the gigantic task of screening over 50,000 eateries across the Capital, including street-side establishments, standalone, and hotels.

Why Is It A Big Deal?

Okay so, the government doesn’t have enough food inspectors, but how does it affect you? In a nutshell, the food you eat may not have gone through the necessary inspections before you consumed it because there are enough people to do that job. Food inspectors are responsible for enforcing health codes in establishments that make and serve consumables. Their jurisdiction is not limited to just eateries but also includes vegetable wholesale markets, supermarkets, and manufacturing plants such as meat packing factories and dairy processing plants. Therefore, due to a lack of such personnel, you can’t really trust what’s being brought out of the kitchen at most restaurants or even in your own home!

An official was quoted as saying by Millennium Post, “Food inspectors have the power to check any five-star hotel or eatery, which can be shut down for 15 days on a single order of the food commissioner. Once these food inspectors are recruited, we will pick as many food samples as we can.”

While this number is still a major improvement from last year when there were only three health inspectors to do the job, it is alarming to know that all that’s on our plate may not have passed necessary health safety checks.

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