Health teams hold joint checking drive to combat adulteration

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, October 12

As per the directions of Kahn Singh Pannu, Commissioner Food & Drugs Administration Punjab, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayyab and Kapurthala and Civil Surgeon Dr Balwant Singh, a joint checking drive was organised against spurious milk and milk products (MMP).

During checking, a milk van coming from Amritsar en-route Jalandhar carrying milk in drums was asked to stop at a naka laid by the food wing at Dhilwan. Two samples of milk were seized from the vehicle.

Similarly, two samples of refined oil were seized from a vehicle carrying edible oil from Ludhiana district. A sample of black chana also taken from a vehicle.

Thereafter, the food team searched the cold stores for the presence of milk and milk products, especially, khoya and sweets. However, the items were not found there. The owners were instructed to provide relevant information to the food authorities in case such items were stored there.

The teams also inspected three cold storages, including Sohan Cold Store, Aujla Road, Kapurthala, Tara Cold Store, Aujla Road, Kapurthala, Gauri Shankar Cold Store, Kapurthala.

While giving details, Civil Surgeon Dr Balwant Singh said, “Taking into consideration the upcoming festival season, all the sweet shop owners are strictly warned to prepare and sale only good quality paneer, khoya, etc. If low quality MMP are found in the premises of any sweets shop or dairy, a strict legal action will be taken in accordance with the law.”

He also added, “Sweets shop owners are directed to add no colour to sweets, or if at all any colouring matter is to be added to the sweets, it should be a permitted food grade synthetic colour and those too should be added in only permissible quantities i.e. 200 ppm (200 parts per million), which means adding 20 grams of synthetic food colour to 100 kg of sweets. Chemical and non-permitted colours should not be used in any circumstances, as these cause cancer of intestines and kidneys, besides other adverse effects.

Five samples were taken by the teams and have been dispatched to the State Food Laboratory, Kharar and the report of the analysis will be made available to the department at the earliest

Further legal action will be initiated in the court of law against the offenders as per the report of analysis of the State Food Lab, Kharar under the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 & Rules & Regulations 2011, said the Civil Surgeon.

This move by the Food Department against the Food Business Operators engaged in the unscrupulous business of adulterated & spurious food stuffs will be continued in the future also to ensure that the citizens get pure and healthy food and the festivals can be celebrated in their true spirit, he added.