Delhi food safety raid: Over 322 kg of ghee seized from shops; here’s what was found that you should be aware of | Today’s news
During the festive season, customers tend to spend more, attracted by a series of offers and steep discounts. However, not every trade is a good trade. In a statement on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the capital’s food safety department had seized over 322 kg of ghee due to quality and price concerns.
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Why were the stores inspected?
Checks targeted stores promoting offers on social media, including “Buy One Get One Free” offers and discounts of up to 60 percent. According to PTI, food safety officials were inspecting stores to assess compliance with food safety rules and check whether they have adulterated, substandard, expired or mislabelled products.
What did the officials find and seize?
During checks at Maxcart Store and Aggarwal Store in West Delhi’s Vikaspuri, officials collected five samples of ghee from several brands along with samples of other food products. Over 75.5 liters of ghee was seized.
Similarly, at Aggarwal shop in Hastal village, officials took three samples of ghee for enforcement from Shri Shan, Vrinda Farms and Avtar brands and seized 246 kg of the product.
In separate checks, samples of other food items were also taken, including two samples of sugar-boiled confectionery from Sahib Sons store in Azad Market, which operated under the trade name Vicon International. Samples were withdrawn due to suspected labeling irregularities.
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In addition, samples of makhana and turmeric powder were collected from Jain Store at Lajpat Nagar, while samples of various types of biscuits, soft candies and sugar-based confections were collected from Yug Basket Private Limited at Rithala.
what’s next
The food safety department said the findings will be assessed along with laboratory test reports before any further action is taken. It added that the inspections had revealed deficiencies in compliance with food safety standards at the establishments and that further measures would follow.
Earlier checks had revealed unsafe samples of ghee
The development comes days after the food safety department conducted an inspection drive last week and found several samples of ghee unfit for consumption. According to reports, the department found that 19 out of 59 samples of desi ghee were unfit for consumption while four others were substandard. Samples from various brands were collected from markets across the capital, including Naharpur, Posangipur, Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Rampura, Tagore Garden, Kalyanpuri, Krishna Vihar and Kondli.
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Separately frozen green peas, Greek yogurt, soft drinks and egg-free chocolate chip cookies were among the items found for sale in warehouses and dark shops despite being past their use-by dates.
After the inspection drive, Gupta said in a statement, “The Food Safety Department has been directed to tighten the monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products through online platforms. Wherever food safety norms are violated, action must be taken as per the rules. The government’s aim is not only to identify deficiencies but also to ensure a system where every family in Delhi has access to public health protection and food health priorities in food.”
What should consumers be aware of?
Following the seizure of over 322 kg of ghee, Rekha Gupta on Friday urged consumers to check the quality and packaging of food products along with their date of manufacture and expiry before purchasing.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a home test to detect adulteration of starch in ghee. Put half a teaspoon of ghee in a clear glass bowl and add two to three drops of iodine solution. A blue color may indicate the presence of starch, potentially from mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. However, absence of color change does not mean that ghee is pure or free from other impurities.
