- Also challans city club Phagwara for unhygienic condition
- Inspects Railway station Phagwara regarding eat right station
Kapurthala; in a drive against adulterated food, the team of FDA Kapurthala headed by Dr Harjot Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner FDA along with Mukul Gill, Food Safety Officer Kapurthala today took samples from a food business operator (FBO) selling allegedly spurious paneer.
The Paneer in question was seized from a Supplier of Paneer, near Gugga Marhi, Baba Gadhia, Phagwara, district Kapurthala.
The Paneer was kept in a deep freezer, in the shape of packs known as tikkies (each tikki weighing about 5.5 kg wrapped in white cloth), in all 6 tikkies and some loose Paneer i.e. total about 40 kg Paneer at the time of checking.
As per the version of the business operator the said paneer was brought from other district into Phagwara and the same was purchased by him at the cost of Rs 240/ Kg and was to be sold to the customers at a rate of Rs. 250/- per Kg. It is pertinent to mention here that Paneer of standard quality is usually sold in the market at a rate of minimum Rs. 350/- per kg, so the Paneer seized by the Wing today is suspected to be of inferior quality.
2 Samples of Paneer (one each from two separate tikkies) were taken at the spot, the remaining stock of Paneer, about 40 kg was seized by the Wing and kept under controlled storage conditions, to be dealt with as per the report of the samples of Paneer.
It is also pertinent to mention here that the said business operator is working without the mandatory FSSAI (Food Safety Standards Authority of India) license/ registration, which invites imprisonment upto 6 months and fine upto 5 Lakh Rupees under Section 63 of Food Safety Act 2006.
It is suspected that the Paneer used in functions like social gatherings & in the Marriage Palaces usually belong to the inferior category, low in Milk Fat, and may contain Vegetable Fat.
As per as per regulation , Paneer is the product which should contain Milk Fat minimum 50% of the dry matter & moisture maximum 60%.
All the sweet shop owners, dairy owners and other food businessmen dealing in MMP (Milk & Milk Products) are strictly directed to prepare & sale Paneer, Khoya etc. on their own in their premises and if at all they procure it from outside, they should obtain it from a FBO of good repute.
If low quality MMP is found in the premises of any sweet shop/dairy, strict legal action will be taken in accordance with the law.
Further legal action will be initiated in the court of law against the offenders as per the report of analysis of the State Food Lab, Kharar under the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 .
Acting on a viral video on the social media, the team of FDA also issued an unhygienic challan to the caretakers of the City Club, Phagwara owing to unsatisfactory hygienic conditions.
Today, the FDA officials also met Devendra Singh, Station Superintendent Railway Station, Phagwara regarding Eat Right Station. During the meeting, various modalities in this regard were discussed at length. The FBO’s operating Food carts on the station were already having mandatory valid FSSAI registration and the hygiene & sanitary conditions were found to be satisfactory.
This move by the FDA against the Food Business Operators engaged in the unscrupulous business & practice of adulterated & spurious food stuffs will be continued in the future also to ensure that the citizens get safe, pure & healthy conditions.