Ahmedabad, Oct 3 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) Food Department prohibited the sale of 9,334 kg of food stock worth Rs 21.64 lakh. It declared 22 food samples substandard during inspections carried out across the city in September.
The department also sealed or closed 28 food business establishments, recovered penalties amounting to Rs 12.79 lakh and issued 404 notices during the month under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The inspections covered food businesses to check the quality of food products, hygiene, storage practices, labelling, FSSAI licences or registrations, and other prescribed food safety standards.
A total of 612 food samples were collected during the month. Of these, 22 were subsequently declared substandard following laboratory analysis.
Among the products found substandard were palmolein oil, ginger-garlic paste, ginger and garlic products, reused cooking oil, sweet chutney, red gravy, garlic powder, veg puff, sambhar, medium-fat paneer, fruit squash, soya sauce and chilli sauce.
Several ghee samples were also declared substandard, including Desi Cow Ghee (Gopishri), Pure Cow Ghee (Shri Amrut), Premium Cow Ghee (KT Krishna), Pure Cow Ghee (Khusali) and Desi Cow Ghee (Prasang).
Low-fat paneer and ghee samples collected from different establishments were also among those that failed to meet the prescribed standards.
The civic body said 1,863 kg/litres of unhygienic food was destroyed during the enforcement drive.
The establishments sealed or closed included food businesses that did not possess the required food safety licence or registration, those found operating in unhygienic conditions, and units where specific food safety violations were detected.
The action included establishments in Vatva, Vejalpur, Chandlodia, Navrangpura, Bapunagar, Gota, Isanpur, Ranip, Juhapura, Dudheshwar, Narol, Vatva, and other parts of the city.
In one case, the Food Department found the total polar compounds (TPC) level in burnt oil at Rajasthan Dalwada Centre in Isanpur to be 32.1.
Another establishment was found selling an expired food product, while prohibited synthetic food colour was detected in namkeen at a food business in Vejalpur.
Several meat and chicken outlets were sealed after officials found unhygienic conditions and non-compliance with Schedule 4 requirements.
The department also acted against a warehouse that did not have the required food safety licence. The civic body said the detained food products were sent for necessary examination and analysis at competent laboratories.
“Where samples were found not to conform to prescribed standards, further legal action was initiated in accordance with the law,” officials said.
In a separate development, the department released a consignment of Desi Cow Ghee (Ramsons) that had earlier been detained from Adarsh Trading Company in Madhupura.
The laboratory analysis found the sample to conform to the prescribed standards, following which the detained stock was released.
The Food Department has asked food business operators to maintain hygiene at their premises, use appropriate-quality raw materials, store food properly, prevent contamination and comply with all conditions attached to their FSSAI licences or registrations.
It said compliance with prescribed food safety standards was mandatory during the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products, and that legal action would be taken against establishments found violating the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The department said inspections and sampling of food businesses would continue in the coming days.
–IANS
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