Rajasthan's salt goes sour; 22% samples from state fail to meet set food standards

Twenty-two per cent of the salt samples collected from across the state have failed to meet the standards set by the health department. The development is very significant as Rajasthan is the third largest salt-producing state in the country.

There is also no mechanism to check and stop the packets which have already been dispatched. According to reports compiled by the health department, a total of 152 samples were collected from January till August from across the state.

Of this, reports of 125 samples were tested and 28 samples have been found substandard and do not meet the standards under the Food and Safety Act.

During inter-departmental meeting two months ago, there were discussions that the salt manufacturers in Nawa, Rajas, Phalodi and Kuchaman City were not maintaining the proper standards.

After this, a seven-member team collected around 45 samples from these cities. According to the report, from these samples, eight samples were also found sub-standard.

This shows the apathy of the department which reveals that the samples of the manufacturers whose products were substandard. The health department has no mechanism to check those dispatched salt products which have already been sold in the markets.

Food safety commissioner and director (Public Health) Dr BR Meena informed dna, “This year, a total of 152 samples were collected of which 28 samples were found substandard out of the 125 samples tested. Of the reports from 45 samples collected from Nawa, Phalodi, Rajas and Kuchaman City, eight samples did not meet the standards.”