India’s health department inspects sweet shops ahead of festive season

INDIA – Mohali health department  in India has uncovered stale sweets being sold at some shops and destroyed some raw materials including 10 kg Patisa, 20 kg Rasgulla and 40 kg sugar syrup, during one of their raiding operations.

Dr Adarshpal Kaur, a Civil Surgeon, said that the health department team inspected candy shops in Nayagaon and destroyed a large quantity of sub-standard items and also seized seven samples of sweets.  The department also scrutinized milk supply vehicles.

“In order to ensure clean, hygienic and quality food items for people, especially during the upcoming festival season, a food safety team of the district health department visited sweets shops in Nayagaon,” she said.

The team steered by the District Health Officer (DHO), Dr Subhash Kumar, checked the quality and expiry dates of various sweets and took seven samples under the Tandrust Punjab Mission launched by the Punjab government. The main goal of the Mission will be to provide clean drinking water and ensure growing and consuming unadulterated food and food products and to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Punjab.

In addition, a manufacturing unit belonging to a reputed sweet shop in Chandigarh, which supplies sweets to Nayagaon, was also inspected. Samples of sweets like khoya (dried evaporated milk solids), rasgulla (Syrup filled roll) and gulab jamun (Indian dessert) were taken from there. Some vehicles supplying milk products to the area were also intercepted and checked.

Dr Subhash Sharma said during checking, shopkeepers were instructed to follow guidelines issued by the district administration and health department to curb the spread of Covid. Shopkeepers were instructed to maintain cleanliness and not sell expired items. They were asked to wear gloves and masks and not allow anyone to enter shops without mask. They were also briefed about the Food Safety Act.

The DHO made it clear that the inspections were not intended to harass anyone but to ensure availability of clean and quality food items. He said that the health department would keep a close watch on the shops and surveillance would continue. He also urged people to ensure that they only bought food items from hygienic places.