Srinagar : To ensure the availability of quality sweets during the ongoing festive season, the Food Safety wing of Drugs and Food Control Org. (D&FCO) Kashmir on Saturday conducted a special drive.
On the occasion, a team of Intelligence cum Legal Cell and Food Safety wing of District Srinagar, inspected the premises of sweets manufacturing unit M/S A.R. Sweets situated at Sammandar Bagh Opposite Sangermal Complex Srinagar.
During inspection of the said premises, the team found that the sweets, particularly KajuKatli, was being processed in unhygienic condition on wooden planks. The unit was operating in gross violation of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act as non-food grade plastic materials were being utilized for processing.
Besides, no Medical report of Food handlers was available as is mandated under law and the raw material in store was in haphazard manner. Also the labelling of sweets as per the Food Standards Act was not followed by the manufacturer.
Two samples of sweets were lifted by the concerned Food Safety Officer for the purpose of laboratory analysis and Sweets (KajuKatli) weighing around 50 kgs and raw material stored in non-food grade plastic were destroyed by the team on the spot.
Moreover, during this ongoing special drive, 103 samples of sweets /milk & Milk products have been lifted across the Kashmir Division for testing of quality parameters mandated under the FSSA 2006. The drive shall continue to be in force for the coming days.
Furthermore, all Food Business operators in general and those dealing with Sweets, Milk and Milk Products in particular are warned to desist from malpractices failing which stringent action as warranted under law shall be taken against them. The public in general are requested to call on 104 helpline No. in case of any complaints.
