The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday launched a crackdown on halal-certified products, as it raided several stores in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Basti, seizing a number of items for testing to ascertain if the state government’s ban on their production, storage, distribution and sale was being complied with.
According to FSDA assistant commissioner SP Singh, “legal action will be initiated against the stores on the basis of the results of the testing, which will be carried out under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.”
A halal certification indicates that the product is prepared in accordance with the Islamic law and is unadulterated.
On Saturday, the state government banned the production, storage, distribution and sale of halal-certified products in the state with immediate effect. Export products, however, were kept out of the purview of the ban. The move came a day after Lucknow police booked four organisations over alleged extortion in the name of providing halal certificates to retail products. On Monday, the state government handed over the probe into the matter to the special task force.
In Lucknow, authorities on Tuesday raided Spencer’s Retail Private Limited at Ashiana Emerald Mall, where it seized five packets of 500 grams of organic items, valued at approximately ₹800 and bearing an “unauthorised” Halal certificate, FSDA officials said.
{{/usCountry}}In Lucknow, authorities on Tuesday raided Spencer’s Retail Private Limited at Ashiana Emerald Mall, where it seized five packets of 500 grams of organic items, valued at approximately ₹800 and bearing an “unauthorised” Halal certificate, FSDA officials said.
{{/usCountry}}Likewise, authorities raided Spice Metro Cash And Carry Wholesale near BBD College and seized 50 packets of Chaat Masala and 42 packets of Garam Masala – worth approximately ₹3,900 and ₹4,400, respectively – for bearing “unauthorised” Halal certificates, the FSDA officials added.
Inspections were also carried out at other stores like Best Price near LuLu Mall in Shaheed Path and Vishal Mega Mart at Burlington Square.
“While no food items with “unauthorised” Halal certificates were recovered from these stores, they were warned against selling such items in the future,” an FSDA official said, seeking anonymity.
In Gorakhpur, officials inspected products at City Mall. They also raided Orion Mall and seized 18 packets of spices and cosmetic items, FSDA officials said. In Basti, FSDA officials raided a wholesale dry fruit shop in Gandhi Nagar and seized 12 bags of honey and some pastes bearing “unauthorised” halal certificates.