With most Lankans celebrating the New Year today, health officials have warned all those especially with compromised immune systems to beware of overeating and indulging in the wrong foods. They said that eating too many sugar based foods high in fat and starch, low in fibre and high in salt, could lead to a spike in non communicable diseases. As a Traffic Lights warning system is now in force under which labelling of food giving the exact quantities of ingredients was compulsory, health officials advised the public to read all printed labels on food packets carefully before making their purchases. “Ensure that the labelling on the item you purchase is proper, giving details of the addresses and names of the manufacturers/importers. If you see any product carrying an expired date on the shelves bring it to the notice of the shop manager”, a health official said.
CAA , Health Ministry puts festive sweetmeats under microscope
The CAA and Food Unit of the Health Ministry have said that they were stepping up vigilance on all popular festive sweetmeats to ensure that they were safe for human consumption.
Following complaints by the public of cooked food containing cockroaches, worms and human hair, health officials said that they had introduced three hotlines where such complaints could be directed to the Ministry of Health, Central Food Control Unit of the CMC and the Consumer Affairs Authority . Or else they could immediately report such cases to the nearest PHI or their Police Station or Grama Niladhari, bringing with them the contaminated sample if possible, to bring the culprits to book.
Owners of noisy buses asked to change horns
Owners of buses with noisy horns in the Western Province have been asked to change horns with blaring sounds in keeping with the law, Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority ( WPRPTA) Chairman, Thusitha Kularathna has reportedly said.
He was also quoted as saying that any driver or conductor of a bus found to be under the influence of liquor or drugs would be penalised.