During checks, health officials find, destroy poor quality food items.
With Diwali now days away, markets are brimming with attractive sweets, confectioneries and namkeen. However, many of these eye-catching treats contain adulterated masala and sub-standard sweets. To ensure no health issues or consumption of such adulterated products spoil Amdavadis’ Diwali, food inspectors of the AMC’s health department have been on their toes. On Friday, the department seized and destroyed nearly 2,200 kg of chocolates and confectionery items in the city.
The health department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) carried out checks in various parts of the city and tested edible items on sale for the festive season. The products ranged from milk products such as sweets, mawa, ice cream, confectioneries as well as fennel seeds, mukhvaas and chocolates among others.
During these health checks, the officials came across certain shops in Odhav, where sub-standard chocolates and confectioneries were being sold. Elaborating on the checks, medical officer – health, AMC, Dr Suhas Kulkarni said, “We have seized packets of chocolates as well as confectioneries and destroyed them. A total of 2,200 kg of these items was destroyed on Friday.” The two shops found selling these sub-standard chocolates were fined Rs20, 000, he added.
Health checks were carried out at 29 locations by the officials, from where 177 samples were collected and tested on the spot. Interestingly, to aid rapid testing and results, the health department took along its mobile testing van.
“During the festive season, we carry out checks using the mobile testing van. The van contains all the required apparatus and travels with the food inspectors to ensure results on the spot,” Dr Kulkarni explained.
In addition, 18 samples of edible products were sent to the public health laboratory for testing. “Of these, 10 samples were sweets, three oil, one mawa, one of ice cream, two mukhvaas and one was a confectionery,” said an AMC official. The health checks will continue for the next few days.
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