Safety standards for meat
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has directed meat traders not to display beef openly in markets and to store and sell it under refrigeration. This is a move in the right direction. In Goa’s warm and humid climate, meat exposed to the open environment is vulnerable to dust, insects, bacteria and other contaminants. Proper refrigeration can help maintain freshness and reduce the risk of food-borne illness. However, some beef traders fear that refrigeration could increase their operating costs and, ultimately, consumer prices. Another question is how unsold meat is being stored overnight. If the objective is food hygiene, the same principle should apply to all meat products. Mutton and pork are also frequently displayed and sold in the open. If open exposure poses a hygiene risk, that risk does not depend on the type of meat. The FDA should establish clear temperature, storage, handling and display requirements for all meat sellers, while giving small traders reasonable time and guidance to comply. Food safety should be the central objective, with hygiene standards applied uniformly to every category of meat.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Diminishing fireflies
For nature to exhibit its radiant light, especially at dusk and later into the night, in the form of the magical glow of bioluminescent fireflies, a conducive atmosphere has to be present. We are no longer able to bask in the wonder of fireflies in Panaji and surrounding areas. This is the result of the intermittent oxidation of the enzyme luciferase, which is secreted by fireflies and emits a yellowish-green glow. It may be recalled that in Bairro Altos dos Pilotos, behind Panjim Residency, the Children’s Park at Campal, as well as in the area surrounding the Cidade de Goa hotel in Dona Paula, hundreds of fireflies were visible at night in yesteryears. Nature lovers and tourists, be they foreigners or from other states, would be keen to watch this phenomenon, which added to the charm of the city and its environs.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Human, environmental health intertwined
Human and environmental health are intertwined. Therefore, access to potable water, unpolluted air, hygienic surroundings and clean sanitation is essential for maintaining individual health. The theme, ‘Environmental Health: Standing with Science to Protect Communities’, is apt for World Environmental Health Day (WEHD), an initiative of the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), observed on September 26. Professionals, data and science are vital to ensuring environmental sustainability. Climate change and disaster risks, too, need to be tackled on a war footing. It is everyone’s earth, and it has to be secured and protected. As Mahatma Gandhi said, the earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Amarinder should
return to Congress
In a media interview, Capt Amarinder Singh, five years after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said, “I have gained nothing by joining BJP, it has never consulted me on Punjab” and “The BJP doesn’t understand Punjab.” He said that even in the last three years, he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah and raised the BJP’s and Punjab’s problems with them. They would say, “Yes, we are doing something,” but nothing happened because, he said, “they thought these were just small peddlers, small-time stuff”. According to the interview, Sonia Gandhi still seeks Capt Singh’s advice on the divided Punjab Congress, particularly on how to end the infighting among its three leaders. He also said, “If tomorrow I tell Rahul, Priyanka or Sonia personally that I’ll be there for them no matter what, I mean it and I’m happy to help.” For better administration in Punjab and to help unite the divided Congress, he should return to his old home, the Congress, as early as possible, as elections are approaching.
Bidyut K Chatterjee, Faridabad
Trump endangers
global order
US President Donald Trump stands at the lectern of the UN General Assembly and talks of the annihilation of Iran, regime change in Cuba and the taking over of Greenland, and world leaders sit quietly and listen. This is from a man who, with his Special Forces, kidnapped a sitting President of Venezuela and has now taken over their oil assets, said to be the largest in the world. He has indiscriminately bombed Iran, causing many civilian casualties, including women and children, and threatens revenge when American soldiers are killed during Iran’s retaliation. Are the deaths in Iran not as precious as those of American lives? Lately, he has threatened sanctions on the International Court of Justice at The Hague, which is a body for the resolution of differences between nations. However toothless it may be, we need its existence. How can the world tolerate such a megalomaniac at the helm of the world’s most powerful country? Time to isolate the US from all world affairs.
S Kamat, Mysuru
