PANAJI: Beef sold at shops must be maintained in the cold chain, FDA director Shweta Desai said on Wednesday, responding to a question about beef being hung in shops for sale. “It’s ok to hang it for a little while (half an hour to one hour), but over a period of time it will get spoiled. It cannot be kept outside the entire day as at the end of the day, the quality will degrade,” she said.Desai said beef should be kept in a deep freezer or sold quickly to prevent spoilage.She added that meat and meat products should not be exposed to air and must be stored under controlled temperatures.Desai was speaking after a meeting with food business operators involved in the manufacture and supply of paneer and mawa in Goa, including sweet mart shops and various associations. The meeting was held to explain the advisory recently issued on analogue paneer and mawa.FDA: Label paneer as either dairy or analogue clearlyMore than 50 operators and various associations attended.The FDA instructed operators to label paneer and mawa clearly as either ‘analogue’ or ‘dairy’ so consumers know what they are buying. FDA said this classification must also be stated on every consignment and reflected on bills. It added that, whether analogue or dairy, these products must be stored and maintained under the cold chain.For sweet shops, Desai said each tray must carry labels specifying whether items such as pedas and burfis are dairy-based or analogue, so customers can make informed purchases.“We have given them four days to comply, and from next week onwards, FDA officers will begin checking for compliance. Non-compliance will invite strict action as per the law.”
