Diwali has always been a testing time for the food safety regulators in the country in view of the rampant adulteration of vital mithai ingredients in the country. This year it was no different, except the fact that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) took some proactive action by asking the state food safety commissioners to conduct a drive to check adulteration in cottage cheese (paneer) and khoya, which are used to make sweets and savouries such as kaju roll, kaju barfi, kalakand, paneer cutlet, paneer chilli and shahi paneer, without which the festivities are incomplete.
Food safety officers (FSOs) in various states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala, were deployed to collect samples of foods containing the aforementioned ingredients from various shops – both big and small – suspected to be involved in adulteration. Bihar collected 50 samples, Maharashtra collected 30, Gujarat collected 25 and Kerala collected 20.
Bihar
Aashish Kumar Singh, designated officer, headquarters, food and safety wing, Bihar, informed, “About a month ago, we started collecting samples of khoya and paneer from top hotels and sweetmeat shops which were involved in adulteration. The cottage cheese used by these hotels were found to contain corn starch in place of milk extract.”
“Till date, we have collected 50 samples. These have been sent to the laboratory for testing. Fines would be imposed on them under Section 51 of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, upon the receipt of the results of the tests. Tests are being conducted across the country to ensure that consumers do not purchase adulterated sweets, as the consumption of these could lead to food poisoning,” he said.
Singh added, “The culprits would be fined as per the offence. The fines would range between Rs 2 lakh and 10 lakh, depending upon the extent of adulteration in samples. Curbing adulteration in paneer and khoya is very easy, and can, in fact, be done by the consumer itself. In order to check whether the paneer is adulterated, all one has to do is put a drop or two of iodine solution on the raw paneer. If its colour changes to blue-black, it is adulterated and contains starch.”
“When we start collecting samples, the shop-owners become wary and stop selling adulterated items immediately, because they know that if they are caught selling the same, a first information report (FIR) would be lodged against them and they would be imprisoned. Many were booked last year after lab tests revealed that the eatables they were selling were adulterated,” informed Singh.
Maharashtra
Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner, food, Greater Mumbai division, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, “In order to check adulteration across Maharashtra, and particularly in Mumbai, we have deployed many FSOs and also four assistant commissioners so that checks can be conducted in big and small establishments that selling adulterated food items during the festive season. During the drive, which commenced a couple of months ago, we collected around 30 samples and sent them for testing. We are sure that this year there will be very few shop-owners involved in adulteration, because the preventive actions are very strict.”
Gujarat
H G Koshia, food commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat, said, “This year, it will be very difficult for the shopkeepers to indulge in adulteration because of the stringent rules laid by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Since the commencement of the drive in Gujarat a month-a-half ago, we have been conducting regular checks on the food business operators (FBOs) in the state, and we will try to ensure that no one is involved in adulteration. We have collected around 25 samples so far. Strict action will be taken against those found to be indulging in this malpractice.”
Kerala
“Our food safety officers have collected around 20 samples and have sent them for testing. We started the drive about a month ago, because it takes the lab 15 days to declare the test results. Moreover, we wanted to ensure that not many shops – big or small – are involved in adulteration,” said K Anil Kumar, joint commissioner, food, Kerala Food and Drug Administration.
Bihar
Aashish Kumar Singh, designated officer, headquarters, food and safety wing, Bihar, informed, “About a month ago, we started collecting samples of khoya and paneer from top hotels and sweetmeat shops which were involved in adulteration. The cottage cheese used by these hotels were found to contain corn starch in place of milk extract.”
“Till date, we have collected 50 samples. These have been sent to the laboratory for testing. Fines would be imposed on them under Section 51 of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, upon the receipt of the results of the tests. Tests are being conducted across the country to ensure that consumers do not purchase adulterated sweets, as the consumption of these could lead to food poisoning,” he said.
Singh added, “The culprits would be fined as per the offence. The fines would range between Rs 2 lakh and 10 lakh, depending upon the extent of adulteration in samples. Curbing adulteration in paneer and khoya is very easy, and can, in fact, be done by the consumer itself. In order to check whether the paneer is adulterated, all one has to do is put a drop or two of iodine solution on the raw paneer. If its colour changes to blue-black, it is adulterated and contains starch.”
“When we start collecting samples, the shop-owners become wary and stop selling adulterated items immediately, because they know that if they are caught selling the same, a first information report (FIR) would be lodged against them and they would be imprisoned. Many were booked last year after lab tests revealed that the eatables they were selling were adulterated,” informed Singh.
Maharashtra
Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner, food, Greater Mumbai division, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, “In order to check adulteration across Maharashtra, and particularly in Mumbai, we have deployed many FSOs and also four assistant commissioners so that checks can be conducted in big and small establishments that selling adulterated food items during the festive season. During the drive, which commenced a couple of months ago, we collected around 30 samples and sent them for testing. We are sure that this year there will be very few shop-owners involved in adulteration, because the preventive actions are very strict.”
Gujarat
H G Koshia, food commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat, said, “This year, it will be very difficult for the shopkeepers to indulge in adulteration because of the stringent rules laid by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Since the commencement of the drive in Gujarat a month-a-half ago, we have been conducting regular checks on the food business operators (FBOs) in the state, and we will try to ensure that no one is involved in adulteration. We have collected around 25 samples so far. Strict action will be taken against those found to be indulging in this malpractice.”
Kerala
“Our food safety officers have collected around 20 samples and have sent them for testing. We started the drive about a month ago, because it takes the lab 15 days to declare the test results. Moreover, we wanted to ensure that not many shops – big or small – are involved in adulteration,” said K Anil Kumar, joint commissioner, food, Kerala Food and Drug Administration.
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