In a major catch, the special team deputed under Food Safety Commissioner for the Ardh Kumbh mela seized substandard food product and packaging materials on Wednesday. The material was ready to pack and even some bottles had been labeled, ready to be sold in markets. The batch details with lot number and shelf life was not visible on the labels. Notably, the special team includes safety officers from Narendra Nagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun and Tehri.
During the verification drive launched by the Anti- Terrorist Squad and police team ahead of Makar Sankranti festival, a sub- standard Tomato sauce company was raided on Wednesday morning in Jwalapur behind Ansari market in Sarai village. Five drums of the tomato and carrot pulp and some 1000 bottles along with food colour and starch powder were seized. The seized materials were taken by the food and safety wing and sent for testing in the state laboratory at Rudrapur. The bottles carried the label name as “bindaas taste”.
Speaking to The Pioneer, designated officer Food Safety Ardh Kumbh Mela, G C Kandwal said, “We got information from the police that one odd person was making Tomato sauce in Jwalapur. Visiting the site and inspecting the premises, we found that the manufacturing conditions were very unhygienic. Even the tomato and carrot pulp stored in the drums was contaminated, unfit for human consumption. The material smelled awfully. Substandard materials, including food colour, starch powder and other chemicals, were used to manufacture sauce.”
The food safety team included safety officers P C Joshi, Pawan Kumar and Sandeep Mishra. The official further said, “One Mohammad Sarvar hailing from Kiratpur village in Bijnor district was running a small food processing unit on rent in Jwalapur. He had taken food manufacturing license from local administration for making noodles, but he had no license for making sauce. When the team questioned him he said that recently he had started making the sauce.” Only one worker was spotted in the small unit of Mohammad, added the officer.