E-Paper
Ludhiana: Out of 134 samples 25 items fail food safety test in three months
The items which were found tainted by misbranding or adulteration include staples like paneer, ghee, salt, Jaggery, and dal, according to information shared by the officials of the food safety department
Raising concern about the safety of food products available in Ludhiana, as many as 25 items out of the 134 samples collected by the food safety department failed to meet the quality benchmark set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in the last three months.
The items which were found tainted by misbranding or adulteration include staples like paneer, ghee, salt, Jaggery, and dal, according to information shared by the officials of the food safety department.
“The department has intensified sampling efforts ahead of the festival season. In October, 34 samples have already been collected in Ludhiana, with results pending. A team of four food safety officers’ conduct sample collection drives across the Ludhiana to ensure that no malpractices in the food industry jeopardise the health of residents,” district health officer Dr. Ripu Daman said.
The food safety department, which routinely collects and tests food samples, classifies them into three categories: substandard, misbranded, and unsafe. Substandard and misbranded food items can lead to civil prosecution, while unsafe food items can result in criminal proceedings due to the potential health hazards they pose.
Substandard food refers to products that fail to meet the nutritional qualifications specified by FSSAI. Misbranding occurs when food packaging lacks essential information such as batch numbers, expiry dates, ingredient declarations, and nutritive values. Unsafe food items are typically adulterated with substances not permitted by FSSAI, which can have serious long-term health implications.
In July, three out of 45 samples taken by the department failed to meet standards, including misbranded cardamom, substandard jaggery, and ‘shakkar’. August saw 11 out of 46 samples failing, with three substandard samples of ‘paneer’ and curd, four misbranded salt samples, three samples of salt tainted with extraneous matter, and one unsafe ghee sample. In September, 13 out of 43 samples failed, including 11 substandard samples of curd and ‘paneer’ and two misbranded samples of ready-to-eat snacks and dal.
Urging consumers to exercise caution, food safety officer Satwinder Singh said, “Consumer must scrutinise food labels for expiry dates, ingredients, and nutritive values. One must be careful when purchasing vibrantly coloured traditional sweets, as they may contain excessive color additives. A quick and easy test can be conducted at home to detect adulterants in products, such as checking the purity of milk by placing a few drops on a clean, slanting surface. If the milk leaves a white trail, it is pure; otherwise, it may be impure. The FSSAI website offers various detecting adulterants with rapid testing (DART) methods for in food products.”
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (FSSA), those responsible for unsafe food items can face imprisonment ranging from six months to six years and fines from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh. In the tragic event of a consumer’s death, the food business operator may receive a life sentence with a fine of at least ₹10 lakh.
