Quality control was in focus at an orientation meeting held by District Collector S. Sivarasu recently to discuss the establishment of a district-level vigilance committee to ensure hygienic sago production.
In the Friday meeting, the experts said that sago manufacturing units should be monitored more rigorously to prevent them from using chemicals to clean the starch extracted from tapioca to prepare sago. “The pH level of sago starch should be between 4.5 to 7. Cameras should be installed in factories to ensure that workers wear caps and gloves for hygienic production. The final product can be marketed only after it has undergone quality checks by the respective region sago society,” said a statement.
District Revenue Officer T. Palanikumar, R. Lakshmi, Environmental Engineer, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, R. Ramesh Babu, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration, management members of Sago Serve Society, Salem, and sago manufacturers were among those who attended the gathering.
