New Delhi, February 26 (IANS). Before Holi, the Food Safety Department of Delhi Government on Thursday launched a campaign against adulteration in food items. Under this operation the team seized 66 food samples including cheese, khoya and pulses. An official gave this information on Thursday.
Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the campaign was focused on systematic food sampling and prevention of adulteration.
The minister further said that the top priority of the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government is the health and safety of the citizens of Delhi. We will have zero tolerance policy towards food adulteration. Our teams are actively inspecting markets, production units and border entry points to ensure that only safe and quality food reaches the public.
During the special drive, a total of 66 food samples, including 54 surveillance samples and 12 legal samples, were collected to ensure strict compliance with prescribed food safety standards and initiate legal action, if necessary, an official said in a statement.
As per the category wise classification of food items, the samples collected included 16 samples under prepared foods, 18 samples under salt, spices, soups, sauces, salads and protein products, 17 samples under grains and cereal products, 11 surveillance samples under fats, oils and fat emulsions and four surveillance samples under dairy products and their analogues.
The official said that in view of the increasing consumption of pulses and related grain products, special emphasis has been laid on these.
He said that inspection teams have been deployed in major Khoya Mandis and Paneer Mandis to check the quality and safety standards of milk products.
He informed that samples have been collected and strict action has been initiated wherever violations were found.
The Health Minister directed the officials not to limit the inspection only to the mandis.
He particularly directed the department to carry out intensive inspection in densely populated areas where khoya and cheese are produced and supplied locally.
The minister said that production units running in residential areas are also being closely monitored.
–IANS
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