1,800kg adulterated besan seized

Jaipur: Health department’s food safety wing seized 1,800 kg of adulterated besan (gram flour) from Manu Vihar of Vishwakarma Industrial (VKI) area on Wednesday. 

It is not for the first time that they have found such adulteration. On February 26, the food safety wing had seized flour mills owned by a businessman for allegedly selling gram flour, which was actually a mixture of semolina, corn flour and gram flour. They had seized 4,500 kg of flour.

Health department officials claimed that since they have found such adulteration in gram flour in two different raids, they have become alert on it and taking all possible measures to prevent such activities in the city. 

Chief medical health officer Dr Narrottam Sharma said that they have collected three samples of adulterated besan and seized 1,800kgs of besan. “They were using semolina as an adulterant, which comes in much lesser prices than gram pulse. Besan should have flour of gram pulse. But adding semolina is an act of fooling the consumers for charging money for gram flour but actually selling semolina,” he said.

The food safety wing officials said that when they entered a room, where they found that workers were preparing besan. “Semolina is sold at Rs25 per kg but the accused preparing adulterated besan using semolina was selling it at Rs58,” he said. 

“We have seized 300kgs of semolina,” the health department officials said.

Besides, a health department team collected sample of black salt at Automobile Nagar. They put the black salt in water, which gave pink colour, but if black salt is genuine, it should give green colour when it is dipped in water, the officials said.