JAIPUR: The Centre’s joint director (regulatory compliance division) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Daya Shankar has issued a letter to food safety commissioner of the state asking him to conduct special drive for ensuring safe and quality milk and milk products during festivals.
Shankar mentioned in the letter issued on October 16, “With low shelf life, milk and milk products are prone to spoilage if these are not stored and handled properly. There are instances of few unscrupulous elements/dairy businesses indulging in acts of adulteration. Such cases of adulteration often increase during festive season when the demand for milk and milk products outstrips supply.”
The adulterants in food items are putting health of consumers at risk. “While economically motivated adulteration of milk and milk products invariably results in cheating of consumers, use of certain types of adulterants can also lead to a negative impact on their health. At the same time, heavy microbial contamination and the consequent presence of microbial toxins in such products also pose a serious threat to the health of consumers,” said Shankar in the letter.
He also brought to the notice of health authorities in the state that they have observed that milk products such as mawa are prepared months in advance for the festive seasons and stored under unhygienic conditions leading to poor microbial quality and visible growth of fungus.
However, health department officials claimed that they have initiated drive against adulterated food, which will continue till November 4. A health department official said that they have launched special drive on surveillance of milk and milk products specifically products like mawa, paneer, curd, ghsee with respect to their microbiological quality and presence of adulterants.
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