Aug 27, 2018
120 kg of spurious paneer seized by Food Department
Phagwara, August 26
To check the spurious paneer and other milk products, a team of Food Department headed by Assistant Commissioner Dr Harjotpal Singh and District Food Safety Officer Dr Satnam Singh, on a tip off, raided a residence-cum-business place of a food business operator at Ambedkar Park, Palahi Road here.
It has been found to be dealing in milk products, mainly paneer. The search was carried out in the presence of the police officials at 4.30 am on Sunday.
Satnam Singh later told newsmen that about 120 kg of low quality paneer was found in the premises. The said paneer was supplied to Phagwara from Gurdaspur.
The entire stock of 120 kg of paneer was seized after taking 2 samples of the same paneer. The samples would be sent to State Food Laboratory, Kharar for further analysis.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, paneer should contain 50 per cent of dry matter and 60 per cent of moisture. The DFO said normal paneer was available in market at a price about Rs 260. In contrast, paneer brought from other districts was said to be sold at a price of Rs 140-150. This kind of paneer was usually prepared from skimmed milk powder and starch. The fat content of such paneer is much less.
Singh said all the sweet shop owners have been directed to prepare and sale healthy, safe and quality sweets items, so that the festivals are celebrated in their true spirit. They have also been directed to keep sweets and milk products at proper temperature, as in the present day temperature conditions, they tend to deteriorate quickly because of microbial growth.
This move by the Food Department against the food business operators engaged in the unscrupulous business of adulterated and spurious food stuffs will be continued in the future also to ensure that the citizens get pure and healthy food.
OPEN HOUSE: CHECK ON SPURIOUS FOOD ITEMS - Frequent raids are required against food adulteration
Residents say anyone who is found is adulterating food should be penalised heavily along with stringent punishment photo
Food adulteration is common nowadays. From fruits to any food which we purchase from shops, all of us are consuming adulterated food. Shopkeepers and vendors are playing with our health. The Food Department can divide the areas to check the dairy products and sweets shops. A heavy fine and punishment should be given to culprits. Customers can also move to consumer courts to teach them a lesson.
Sharanpreet kaur
Give exemplary punishment
Many sweet shops during the festive seasons start adulterating to increase the quantity of the sweets. Recently, the Khanna police have arrested two persons and seized two quintals of khoya. The recovered khoya has been handed over to the officials of Food Supply Department for further action. Under the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, an exemplary punishment must be given to a person who involves in this heinous act. Government must take proper steps for protecting the interest of the consumer who purchase dairy products.
Manpriya Kaur
Take strict actionagainst culprits
The anti-adulteration task forces should be created in every municipal limit. They should conduct checks and raids various locations where the festive season sweets are prepared. Surprise checks should be conducted by as well. Strict actions should be taken against the ones responsible or found guilty of such offence.
Ekroop Kaur
Conduct frequent raids
Festival time is a time of celebration and it is incomplete without the sweets. But many sweet shop owners spoil our happiness and play by adulterating food. There is a great need to curb this menace. Regular raids and alert vigilance should be made by the Health Department during the festive season. It calls for coordination and co-operation of all stakeholders. A heavy fine should be imposed on the factories or shops where adulteration takes place. Consumers shall also be aware of their rights under Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
Harkirat Singh
Strict action is required to curb this practice
Today, food adulteration is one of the serious topics as it deteriorates our health. It not only affects immunity system of a human being, but also be one of the reasons for death. Many shopkeepers use pesticides, chemicals and fertilisers which pose threat to one's life. Strict measures should be taken against such kind of people who play with the lives of other just for the sake of money.
Deepnayan Kaur
Health Dept should carry out surprise checking
The food adulteration has become a major cause of concern in our country. Each and every day there is news of food adulteration. There are also reports of vegetables and fruits being ripped artificially with the use of harmful chemicals.
To meet with the demand, traders and shopkeepers choose this short-cut to earn profit. Adulteration is common to find in items such as vegetables, food grains, i ice creams, ghee, chili powder and milk. The Ministry of Health Welfare Department is responsible for the inspection of food items. The Food Adulteration Act 1954, clearly mentions the guidelines to provide pure and wholesome food to consumers. The act was last amended in 1986 to make punishments more stringent against the people who are responsible for the food adulteration. Government should take strict actions for those who prepare spurious items. The Health Department should check conduct random raids and meetings to end this menace.
Abhilasha Singh
Moral values are sinking
How can anyone make spurious milk, paneer and other eatables and then sell it in a market? It is a responsibility of a government to catch such culprits. The so called inspectors are not there to catch thieves but they are there to make money. When the system is immersed in corruption, expecting pure food items is a dream only. We all are responsible for the malice, our acceptability of corruption is very high and our moral values are sinking.
Major Gurdeep S Samra( Retd)
Collect samples infestive season
Several adulterated milk products are being sold in markets at a large quantity, especially during festive season. This affects the health of consumers. This must be checked well in time before and during the festive season. The state food/health department is responsible to ensure that food sold is safe and is not adulterated. The department's inspectors must get serious towards their duty and collect a large number of samples from the shops selling milk and milk products, get them analyzed for quality from the state food analysis laboratory and ensure that the defaulters are identified. The staff must also collect samples direct from the diaries. The department must ensure that no defaulter escapes the punishment. During the festive season, the programme of collection of samples need be undertaken as a campaign. The public should also play a positive role here. Now, quick milk testing kits are available in the market. People can test the quality of milk on their own level. The department must fix one separate telephone number for use by public for reporting the matter.
Dr G Dev
Children, elderlyare vulnerable
The food adulteration has become rampant in India. Fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products are contaminated. By consuming adulterated food, we all may have to face serious health problems. Adulteration of milk is done without any qualms by removing fat. Selling diluted buffalo milk as cow milk is a common practice in rural areas. Health practitioners are urging the government to do more to raise awareness about adulterated food among the Indian public as children and elderly people are the most vulnerable to these toxins in food.
Richa Garg
Strengthen food safety structures
Food is one of the basic necessities for sustenance of life. Adulterated food can cause severe biological, chemical, physical harm and nutritional problems. There is a need to monitor programmes to maintain food products. This is the only way to secure food supply and address the growing concern over food adulteration. Always buy food products which have a FSSAI-validated label, that means that they have a FSSAI license number, ingredient list and expiry date. Consumption of adulterated and spurious food items is a serious health hazard and this menace of food adulteration can be curbed only by strengthening of food safety structures in the country and more effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Tanpreet Kaur
Media can play a vital role
Today, food adulteration has become one of the biggest concerns to cope with. As festive season is approaching, the adulteration will increase as people will be buying sweets. A handsome reward can be given to the person who will help the police to get arrested such culprits. Apart from this, the media can play a vital role in the checking of such adulterated products with the help of vigilant reporting.
Tanvi Singh
MC, officials concerned need to keep an eye
In the festive season, people are in spirit of joy and celebration, but the inhumane attitude of food suppliers spoils the charm of festivals. Municipal Corporation and officials concerned should keep eyes on the sweet shops and factories. An officer should be appointed for every major area for inspections. Street foods vendors should be given cards on which inspection data is marked every week. The e-challaning for defaulters should come into force. Efforts should be made to develop facilities for the testing of sweets samples locally instead of sending them elsewhere. The present laws on food adulteration need to be implemented in the letter and the spirit to deter the anti - social elements from following unethical ways of doing business.
Dr Jasdeep Kaur
Buy FSSAI labelledfood items
Food adulteration is not only cheating, but it is a health hazard because of which people are getting sick. We need effective awareness campaigns regarding consumer rights, training to test food items for adulteration. All of us need to buy food products with FSSAI label always. Methods of adulteration food detection, penalties should be imposed. Food inspectors should collect time-to-time food samples for test. Hopefully authorities concerned will come forward to take care of these issues as soon as possible.
Jasdeep Kaur
Form councils in cities against food adulteration
Adulteration has become a trend in recent times. To make profits, businessmen and traders use toxic substances and make the consumers a scapegoat. But now, the time has changed. There is a need to bring the culprits out of their den. There is a great need to form a council in every city to check adulteration. Stay safe , eat safe and Happy festive season!
Abhishek Gupta
Spread awareness through campaigns
Adulteration of food with toxic substances is increasingly spreading across the world. Such actions pose serious health issues. There is a need to monitor all food products for safety. More effective awareness campaigns regarding this matter should be organised to increase awareness among consumers. A consumer should also need to make smart choices to avoid these unfair trade practices. After all, quality of a product is more important than its quantity.
Tanvi Gulati
Organic farming shouldbe encouraged
Adulteration in eatable items to public is a heinous crime. Such people do not know that the spurious foods cause gastrointestinal disturbances, vomting and diarrhoea, which further aggravates the health issues. During the recent raids in the state, across 60 per cent of milk and milk products samples were found unfit for human consumption. Importance of FSSAI labels should be highlighted. There is a need to impose huge penalties and punishment on offenders. Moreover, authorities concerned should ensure the strict compliance of the Food Safety and Standard Act. Government should install purity check machines at diaries and sweet shop. Sufficient staff should be provided to the Health Department to curb the menace. Domestic farming, organic vegetables and fruits and pasteurised milk packets should be encouraged to use to save human lives.
Kuldip Singh Kreer
Lack of defined norms is prime reason
The food adulteration certainly has become one of the biggest proliferating industries. It peaks during the festive season creating extra stress on the already comatose health system in the country. Every year, governments raid various eateries and companies which are aggressively involved in the food adulteration. People who adulterate food by mixing pesticides, fertilisers, carbide, colouring agents causes deaths and eventually deteriorating the health index of the country every year. The lack of defined norms is prime reason that does not allow the legal authorities to tighten noose on the food manufacturers. Experts also say that consumer education and awareness is need of the hour. People should not get tempted to buy cheaper food as these food items are likely then to be adulterated food.
Ravi Chander Garg
Award death penaltiesto culprits
Food adulteration is the cheapest way to earn a huge amount of profits by keeping the lives of humans on stake. The festive season is coming, and almost every day we read stories on food adulteration. To become rich by choosing a shortcut way, some persons are encouraging adulteration. As far as solution to this problem is concerned, then we can tackle this problem by creating awareness in society. We should try to purchase FSSAI marked products. Food adulteration should be considered as a criminal offence and government should award death penalty to those who are playing with the precious lives. We must try to find out substitute of milk products with same nutritional values. Government should keep a close eye on interstate supplies. They should properly check the products which are coming from other states so that culprits can be found at the earliest.
Ritu priya
Penalise the guilty
All businessmen want to earn profits during the festive season. Similarly, business of selling sweets earns profit during festivals. For a layman, it is difficult to identify if sweets are adulterated or not. To curb adulteration, there must be only one government agency which should have a control to supply raw material to owners of sweet shops. Despite this, if sweets are found adulterated then the owner of a sweet shop should be held responsible. If anyone is found guilty to sell adulterated sweets, then he/she should be fined heavily.
Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui
FSSAI should check adulteration
Food adulteration is a major cause of concern nowadays. Food adulteration takes place in the form of colouring, chemicals, additives that are added to in eatable items. This can enhance taste but surely can damage our internal organs, thus leading to serious nutrient deficiencies such as vitamin D or protein. To check food adulteration in milk and sweets, FSSAI should adopt a nifty guide to quickly test the food quality. FSSAI should detect adulteration with rapid test and conduct raids. Consumer should also be vigilant about food adulteration and be a smart buyer.
Bismanpreet Kaur
Act againstcorrupt officials
Festivals are a time of joy. But some money minded people, do not hesitate to play with the lives of innocent citizens. The seizure of spurious khoya in Khanna is an eye opener for all of us. It is just the beginning of festival season. But such greedy people have started manipulating the situation from now. It has also come to light that 60 per cent of milk food samples seized in Punjab raids have failed quality test, (The Tribune Report on August 20). Many Food Safety Officers and the other officials are hand in glove with the culprits. It is high time that our government should start tackling this problem and that too with concrete results. The whole system needs to be streamlined, especially action against the high officials who are corrupt.
Bir Devinder Singh Bedi
FSDA officials’ salaries stopped for laxity
Agra: District magistrate Ravi Kumar NG has ordered to put salaries of FSDA (Food Safety and Drug Administration) officials on hold over the issue of negligence in discharging duty. The DM has also sought a response from the concerned officials on delay in taking action after collecting food samples from commercial outlets.
Earlier, BJP leaders had accused FSDA staff of extorting money from local businessmen. Etmadpur MLA Rampratap Singh had met the DM after a sweet shop owner suffered a heart attack during an FSDA raid at his premises. Based on the MLA’s complaint, the DM had ordered an investigation into the incident. During the probe, it was found that the FSDA team didn’t follow the set procedure while collecting samples from the sweet shop.
According to sources, FSDA officials have come unprepared in several meetings called by the DM. They lack the required details to be tabled during the meeting. Further, some officials have been found to be not reporting about the raids conducted, samples sent for testing and action taken against adulterators.
DM Ravi Kumar NG said, “For laxity in work and violation of standard operating procedures, salaries of FSDA officials have been stopped. A report of last one year has been sought from them. On the basis of the report further action will be taken.”
The DM has also passed strict orders to FSDA to maintain transparency in food investigation process. The entire exercise of sample collection from eateries will now have to be recorded.
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