2 sweets manufacturing units sealed

‘Eatables found in unhygienic conditions, samples sent for tests’

ZEHRU NISSA Srinagar, June 16: State Food Control Organisation on Thursday sealed two sweets manufacturing units here after these were found to be manufacturing food items in insanitary conditions which are detrimental to human health.

Acting of a specific information, a team from FCO, led by Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Srinagar Hilal Ahmed Mir raided various food business operators in the summer capital. Following the inspection, two units manufacturing sweets and confectionaries were sealed after the inspection team found these operating from unhygienic premises.

‘ During inspection, two units namely Haldi Rahman and Mantassa Sweets were found in total insanitary condition,” Drug and Food Control Organization said in a handout.

“ Grease and dirt had accumulated on floor and walls of the manufacturing units and foul smell was emanating from the mess. Large number of flies were present in the processing area,” it said.

Pertinently, the state of hygiene in food manufacturing units and the various dangerous chemicals that the organization has reported to be found in the items, have raised concerns among public about safety of eatables available in market. There is a persistent demand for strict governmental vigil on food manufacturing practices and units.

At the units sealed on Thursday, the team found rats and other animals have free access to the raw and furnished material— exposing the life of consumers to dangers of food poisoning and other serious infections.

Samples from the unit have been sent for testing to the Srinagar based food testing laboratory. Doctors said that in summers, cases of infections due to contaminated food are on a rise.

“ Due to flies and high temperature, microbe contamination occurs in food items prepared and stored in unhygienic conditions,” said a doctor in SMHS Hospital. He added that people need to take precautions and keep their food items in clean and covered utensils.

In April this year, DFCO had found a sweet manufacturer involved in using a Sodium Hydro- sulfide, a mining chemical in sweets and confectionary.

Exposure to sodium hydrogen sulfide can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Breathing sodium hydrogen sulfide dusts may aggravate asthma or other pulmonary ( breathing) diseases and may cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Ingestion may cause burns in the moth and danger of perforation ( puncturing) of the esophagus ( throat) or stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea’