DFCO launches valley-wide anti-adulteration campaign
Jammu and Kashmir government is in a tight spot over the revelations made by officials in High Court following the media reports about the sale of adulterated food items including milk and milk products.
Although there was a relief for a leading milk manufacturing company facing adulteration charges following a stay on District Court Budgam’s order by the High Court but there is still a question mark over the quality and standard of the milk sold in J&K.
After HC’s cognizance, the authorities have launched a valley-wide crackdown on milk and milk products and are checking out complaints received from the public over the sale of adulterated milk.
Irfana Ahmad, Deputy Controller, Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) told that over 200 liters of milk at Parimpora after finding it adulterated and below standards.
“This was a part of a Kashmir-wide campaign against adulteration. We are planning to carry raids at milk manufacturing and selling points across Kashmir division to ensure that people consume unadulterated milk,” she said.
“Private dairies, retail suppliers and those who are selling milk packets under different brand names will have to follow Food Safety Standards. There are quality norms governing the production and distribution of branded as well as unbranded milk and Food Safety Inspectors will start inspection from Monday,” she said.
Milk samples will be collected and sent to the Food Analysis Laboratory to check for the presence of toxic chemicals, additives, starch, and whiteners, apart from high levels of water.
Earlier this month, the food safety officers had lifted over 30 samples of packaged dairy products of six different brands from across the region for testing following the conviction of a local milk manufacturing company by a court in central district Budgam. The samples were collected by DFCO officials from different markets and sent to local government lab for analysis
Subsequently, on April 7, the checking squads seized and destroyed stocks of the milk manufactured by the convicted company from different markets in and around Srinagar.
“The conviction by the court will prove as a deterrent for many companies and sellers and will be an eye opener for the callous officials. It will also help us to gear up against the menace of adulteration,” Irfana said.
