Health Department seals two khoya-manufacturing units

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 28

With just two days left for Diwali, the Health Department conducted an extensive sampling and inspection drive at food markets in the city today. Department officials claimed that the purpose of the drive was to check the sale of adulterated and substandard food items on the festival day.

District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said they had sealed two manufacturing units where substandard khoya was found to be manufactured.

He said both the units were run by a person identified as Parshotam Kumar.

The department had seized around 17 quintals of khoya and a vast quantity of ingredients from the manufacturing unit in the Gurnam Nagar area. The other unit was found operating on Tarn Taran Road.

Kahlon said the raid was conducted during the night because it is during this time that manufacturing was done. He said the teams had also visited various shops in the city and collected 36 samples of sweets. The department had dispatched the samples of khoya and other sweets to the food-testing lab at Chandigarh, he said.

Earlier in the week, the department had seized around 12 quintals of sweets from GT Road, which were later destroyed because no one claimed ownership of the stock.

Kahlon said employees of the department were working round the clock to check the sale and manufacturing of adulterated food. He said the department had also put up vigil at key entry points, so that substandard foods manufactured outside the city and being transported here were intercepted at the entry points.

He also asked the people to report any manufacturing or sale of substandard food items to the department. “We will ensure that action is taken on each one of these complaints,” he said.