Khyber’s ‘dahi’ packs seized for false dating

FSD orders recall of its milk products

Srinagar: The Food Safety Department on Tuesday directed its officials to recall from the market the milk products manufactured by ‘Khyber Milk’ after they found the company falsely labelling the date of manufacture on its ‘Pro-Active Dahi’.

The department has seized nearly 100 packs of ‘Pro-Active Dahi’ from the company’s manufacturing unit in Lethpora Pulwama.

Assistant Commissioner Food Safety in Pulwama, Suranjit Singh, told Kashmir Reader that the ‘Pro-Active Dahi’ manufactured by Khyber Milk at its factory in Lethpora Pulwama was found to be in “complete violation” of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA). The manufacturing date printed on the pack was four days ahead of its actual date of manufacturing, he said.

“The actual date of manufacture of the Dahi is August 27 but the company has printed September 1 as the date of manufacturing, which is a complete violation of the Act. There is provision of heavy fine up to Rs 3 lakh,” Singh said.

Singh said that food inspectors also collected samples of milk for detailed analysis.

“The company authorities can face arrest if any of the milk products are tested as unsafe in the food laboratory,” the assistant commissioner said.

In 2006, the company was indicted after traces of detergent were found in its packed milk, which was declared unsafe by the food analyst.

The samples tested by Referral Food Laboratory, Kolkata, had confirmed the presence of detergent in the milk and also showed the milk fat as being lower than the prescribed levels. According to the report, the sample also contravened the Food Safety and Standards (packaging and labelling) Regulations.

A court had held the company guilty and convicted its In-Charge Operations, Mohammad Shafi Ganie. The company was convicted under Sections 51, 52 and 59 of the Food Safety Standards (FSS) Act 2006.

A local court later imposed a heavy penalty on the company which was later set aside by Supreme Court in 2017 following an appeal by the the company.