Gujarat calls for tougher food safety law

Gandhinagar: Amid rising cases of adulteration of paneer, ghee, milk and even blood plasma in Gujarat, state health minister Praful Pansheriya has recommended that the Centre further tighten the Food Safety and Standards Act to enable stricter action against offenders.

He made the demand at the 16th Central Council of Health and Family Welfare meeting in Delhi.The minister further urged the development of a full-fledged organ transplant facility at AIIMS Rajkot, which would provide patients from Saurashtra and Kutch regions with easier access to advanced transplant treatment. He also raised concerns over the reckless use of antibiotics, warning that overuse is driving antimicrobial resistance and narrowing treatment options for bacterial infections.

He called for a strong national policy with strict enforcement to ensure responsible antibiotic use.Data from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre backs this concern, showing 82% of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms identified in the state in 2025 were pan-drug resistant or extremely drug-resistant. This left doctors with fewer weapons to fight potentially life-threatening infections.Quoting the minister, a statement said that Gujarat govt will continue working relentlessly to accelerate the central govt’s Digital Health Mission and ensure the health and well-being of every citizen in the state. The statement said that during the meeting, several digital healthcare platforms were launched under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to expedite digital transformation in the country’s health sector.Along with giving fresh momentum to digital reform in healthcare, operational guidelines for the “anaemia-free India” campaign were also released, the statement added.