Jammu, May 13: The food handlers – from chefs in restaurants to road side eateries – will have to pass a fitness test before seeking extension of the mandatory license in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
 Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has issued a circular making the `Health Fitness Certificate’ and vaccination for communicable diseases mandatory for those who are making or serving food to the people in the city.
 Official sources said that as per the circular all those people who come under direct contact with food have to demonstrate “fitness for work”. The order has put a ban on the issuance or renewal of the licence without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that the these food-handlers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness in order to pursue their trade.
 The food handlers “would also have to be vaccinated against an enteric group of diseases as per the schedule defined by the medical practioners, failing to adhere to which no fitness certificate would be issued”, an official at JMC said.
 Pertinently, Health and Sanitation Department has taken this decision to minimize the spread of communicable disease through eating at public places.
 Those who intend to get or extend license from JMC have to their medical fitness certificate from any registered medical practitioners.
 Health Officer JMC, Dr Vinod Sharma said, “This is an initiative by the department as per Government of India’s Food Act 2006. “The law will in force for the entire financial year and number of applications were presently pending with the Corporation due to lack of the required certificate,” he said. 
 He said that the Corporation will also launch special drive in restraints and hotels to ensure that all the food-handlers working in larger establishments have followed the procedure.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 IST