With Diwali around the corner, food safety departments in Ghaziabad and Noida are conducting intensified inspections at food outlets and sweet shops to combat rising incidents of food adulteration. This proactive approach is essential as the festive season often sees a spike in the demand for sweets, increasing the potential for unsafe food practices, as reported by TOI.
Recent Findings and Actions
Sarvesh Mishra, assistant commissioner (Food) II, Gautam Budh Nagar, reported that during a routine inspection on Saturday, officials collected samples of ghee and besan laddu from a sweets factory in Sector 155, Noida. Approximately 45 kg of contaminated sweets were destroyed during this inspection. On Friday, over 200 kg of rasgullas were discarded after insects were found floating in them in Greater Noida. In addition, 20 kg of paneer with a foul odour was destroyed after samples were taken for testing.
"The food safety department is conducting pre-festival checks on commonly adulterated items like khoya, milk, ghee, and sweets, with three teams inspecting food shops across the district," Mishra stated. During inspections at a Sector 68 sweet shop in Noida, officials discovered insects in a drum of rasgullas, which led to the destruction of the remaining 200 kg. In a sweets manufacturing site in Patwari village, Greater Noida West, 55 kg of chena sweets were also destroyed due to adulteration.
On Thursday, officials confiscated 100 kg of adulterated khoya, a crucial ingredient for many sweets, at the market located on main Kasna Road in Sirsa, Greater Noida. "Over 30 shops have been inspected so far," Mishra added.
Local Efforts and Guidelines for Consumers
In Ghaziabad, four food safety teams have been established for inspections. Dr. Arvind Yadav, assistant commissioner (Food) II, reported that on Saturday, officials seized 400 kg of khoya worth Rs 88,000 being transported from Meerut to Chaupala Mandir, Ghaziabad. "Inspections will continue across the district for the next week, with officials also educating shopkeepers and consumers on food safety practices," Yadav stated.
Health officials are urging the public to exercise caution while purchasing sweets during the festive season due to a rise in food adulteration cases. District health officer Amarjeet Kaur noted, “Though we are regularly inspecting sweet shops and other manufacturing units to check for adulteration, there are a few things that people can also bear in mind while shopping.”
She emphasized the importance of avoiding colourful sweets or ensuring that the manufacturer uses Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved colours.
“Colours barely have any importance. They just add to the look of the product. Some manufacturers use colours that can be harmful for us. So, it is very important to ensure that the colours used are FDA approved,” she added.
Consumer Tips and Broader Statewide Inspections
The local health department has conducted regular inspections at sweet shops this month, resulting in the destruction or seizure of quintals of sweets, bakery items, and dairy products. According to Kaur, over 100 samples have been collected for testing.
One concerning issue discovered during these inspections was the use of harmful aluminum foil instead of silver foil for covering sweets. Kaur provided a method for consumers to check the foil covering by rubbing it between their fingers: “Take a piece of foil between your fingers and rub it. If it disappears, it is silver foil, and if it turns into a ball, it is aluminium foil.”
She also advised consumers to buy covered items only after verifying the hygiene quality of the shops to avoid contamination from pollution and flies. “People can report the issues to us and we will take action on time,” she added.
The food safety department's vigilance is not limited to Ghaziabad and Noida. In Ujjain, a team of officers confiscated a total of 300 kg of adulterated mawa on Friday. This mawa was produced in Gujarat and was being delivered in Ujjain, having been sent as a bus parcel. Acting on a tip-off, officials intercepted the parcels at the Dewas gate bus stand. The suspect, identified as Praveen Jain, a resident of Vidyapati Nagar, has been taken into custody as he lacked a food license.
Further investigations have led to the seizure of 225 kg of mawa from a well-known sweets shop in Indore, made from refined oil and powdered milk. Additionally, food safety officers in Bhopal confiscated a truck full of substandard mawa, underscoring the widespread effort to ensure food safety as the festive season approaches.
Recent Findings and Actions
Sarvesh Mishra, assistant commissioner (Food) II, Gautam Budh Nagar, reported that during a routine inspection on Saturday, officials collected samples of ghee and besan laddu from a sweets factory in Sector 155, Noida. Approximately 45 kg of contaminated sweets were destroyed during this inspection. On Friday, over 200 kg of rasgullas were discarded after insects were found floating in them in Greater Noida. In addition, 20 kg of paneer with a foul odour was destroyed after samples were taken for testing.
"The food safety department is conducting pre-festival checks on commonly adulterated items like khoya, milk, ghee, and sweets, with three teams inspecting food shops across the district," Mishra stated. During inspections at a Sector 68 sweet shop in Noida, officials discovered insects in a drum of rasgullas, which led to the destruction of the remaining 200 kg. In a sweets manufacturing site in Patwari village, Greater Noida West, 55 kg of chena sweets were also destroyed due to adulteration.
On Thursday, officials confiscated 100 kg of adulterated khoya, a crucial ingredient for many sweets, at the market located on main Kasna Road in Sirsa, Greater Noida. "Over 30 shops have been inspected so far," Mishra added.
Local Efforts and Guidelines for Consumers
In Ghaziabad, four food safety teams have been established for inspections. Dr. Arvind Yadav, assistant commissioner (Food) II, reported that on Saturday, officials seized 400 kg of khoya worth Rs 88,000 being transported from Meerut to Chaupala Mandir, Ghaziabad. "Inspections will continue across the district for the next week, with officials also educating shopkeepers and consumers on food safety practices," Yadav stated.
Health officials are urging the public to exercise caution while purchasing sweets during the festive season due to a rise in food adulteration cases. District health officer Amarjeet Kaur noted, “Though we are regularly inspecting sweet shops and other manufacturing units to check for adulteration, there are a few things that people can also bear in mind while shopping.”
She emphasized the importance of avoiding colourful sweets or ensuring that the manufacturer uses Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved colours.
“Colours barely have any importance. They just add to the look of the product. Some manufacturers use colours that can be harmful for us. So, it is very important to ensure that the colours used are FDA approved,” she added.
Consumer Tips and Broader Statewide Inspections
The local health department has conducted regular inspections at sweet shops this month, resulting in the destruction or seizure of quintals of sweets, bakery items, and dairy products. According to Kaur, over 100 samples have been collected for testing.
One concerning issue discovered during these inspections was the use of harmful aluminum foil instead of silver foil for covering sweets. Kaur provided a method for consumers to check the foil covering by rubbing it between their fingers: “Take a piece of foil between your fingers and rub it. If it disappears, it is silver foil, and if it turns into a ball, it is aluminium foil.”
She also advised consumers to buy covered items only after verifying the hygiene quality of the shops to avoid contamination from pollution and flies. “People can report the issues to us and we will take action on time,” she added.
The food safety department's vigilance is not limited to Ghaziabad and Noida. In Ujjain, a team of officers confiscated a total of 300 kg of adulterated mawa on Friday. This mawa was produced in Gujarat and was being delivered in Ujjain, having been sent as a bus parcel. Acting on a tip-off, officials intercepted the parcels at the Dewas gate bus stand. The suspect, identified as Praveen Jain, a resident of Vidyapati Nagar, has been taken into custody as he lacked a food license.
Further investigations have led to the seizure of 225 kg of mawa from a well-known sweets shop in Indore, made from refined oil and powdered milk. Additionally, food safety officers in Bhopal confiscated a truck full of substandard mawa, underscoring the widespread effort to ensure food safety as the festive season approaches.
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