DINAKARAN NEWS

95 kg stale food, farsan destroyed at garba venues

Vadodara: Health officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) conducted surprise checking at four different garba venues in the city. The teams checked over 160 food stalls during the drive.

VMC teams have been on a drive to check food vendors since about a week. After checking sweet and savoury shops, the teams focussed on garba venues in the city since Friday night.

On Friday, food safety officers checked 166 stalls in the city and destroyed 95kg food items there. The items that were disposed of included ‘batata vada’, chutney, momos, rice, samosas and cut fruits.

1.5 quintal foul smelling khoya seized

CHANDIGARH: Continuing with its drive against spurious food products, the food and safety teams of the health department on Saturday carried out inspections for adulterated products.

The food safety wing, Pathankot, in a raid at Aman Cold Store found about 1.5 quintal of foul smelling khoya. The store belongs to a sweets shop owner at Shahpur Chowk, Pathankot. The team took the samples and destroyed the khoya as it was not fit for human consumption. On the same premises, about 3.72 quintal of fat spread was found, which was being sold as butter. Sample of fat has been taken and whole stock has been seized.

Two bread manufacturing units in Amritsar were inspected and sealed due to poor hygiene. Both units were being run in residential areas without licence. A soda manufacturing unit was also sealed in Fatehgarh Colony, Anngarh, Amritsar, for being run without a mandatory licence. An illegal water packing unit at Shri Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran, was also sealed for not having the required licence.

Commissioner, food safety, K S Pannu said that, “It is a general impression that substandard khoya procured at cheaper rates from other states is stored ahead of the festival season in cold stores by sweets manufacturers, so we are constantly checking these across the state.”

Assam govt bans Wai- Wai noodles

GUWAHATI: After the Maggi fiasco, Assam has now prohibited the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of Wai Wai 1-2-3 Noodles (mini) and Wai Wai Mimi ready-to-eat noodles after they tested positive for monosodium glutamate (MSG), a banned flavour enhancer.

The curbs were imposed for an initial period of 30 days with immediate effect in the interests of public health, the state government said in a notification issued on Monday, adding that the products were declared unsafe under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.

Samples of both the noodle products- Wai Wai 1-2-3 Noodles (mini) and Wai Wai Mimi tested positive for monosodium glutamate, which is not allowed to be used as an additive in pastas and noodles.

The new ban order comes into effect two weeks after Maggi was banned in the state.