Crackdown on eatery, stocks worth Rs 35 lakh seized

VIJAYAWADA: IN an attempt to clamp down on illegal marketing and sale of inferior quality and unbranded food items, sleuths of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) along with Vigilance & Enforcement (V&E) officials conducted joint raids on a wholesale snacks unit in Auto Nagar on Friday and seized eateries worth `35 lakh (locally made chips and snacks). The wholesale unit belongs to Ashoka Enterprises. FSSAI officials claim that the products sold by them are unsafe for consumption. Officials registered a case against the firm’s owner Ashok Kumar under the Public Health Act. 

It can be recalled on November 1, a four-year-old boy Nireekshan in Eluru reportedly died after consuming ‘Golden Rings’ (a type of snacks) supplied by the accused Ashoka Enterprises. He died after a toy packed in the packet was stuck in his throat while consuming the snacks. Doctors said the boy was suffocated as the toy jammed his oesophagus. “Following the incident, we conducted raids on Ashoka Enterprises on November 2 and seized stocks worth `15 lakh. FSSAI officials sent samples to the forensic science laboratory where reports suggested that Gold Ring snacks is unfit for consumption,” said Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer M Ravindranath Babu. 

During the investigation on Friday, V&E officials found the accused was importing snacks of different brands manufactured at Bangalore and other cities and supplying them to retail traders in Krishna and the neighboring districts. “Even after taking action against him, Ashok imported snacks like ‘Gold Rings’, ‘Diamond Rings’ and other brands again. He imported stock worth about `43 lakh and has sold `10 lakh stock so far. Notices will be served to the trader seeking explanation and action will be taken against the manufacturer as well as the seller,” said Babu.