Food Safety Department Destroys 850 Kilograms of Contaminated Sweets Ahead of Diwali

Gautam Buddh Nagar, November 3 (Daily Kiran) : With Diwali approaching, the food safety and drug administration department in Gautam Buddh Nagar has ramped up efforts to ensure the availability of safe and pure food products. Following directives from the district magistrate, teams of food safety officers conducted inspections at various sweet-making units in Noida and Greater Noida on Tuesday.During these inspections, serious lapses in food quality and hygiene were uncovered. A total of seven food samples were collected for testing. Approximately 400 kilograms of contaminated rasgullas and 450 kilograms of boondi were either destroyed or seized after being deemed unfit for human consumption. Assistant Food Commissioner Sarvesh Mishra stated that a special campaign is underway to curb adulteration and the production of food items in unsanitary conditions, particularly due to the increased demand for sweets during Diwali.Food safety officers Vishal Kumar Gupta and Ritu Saxena inspected Ganesh Sweets in Gadhi Chowkhandi, Sector-121, Noida, where a sample of boondi laddus was taken. Similarly, another team led by food safety officer O.P. Singh raided a sweet-making facility owned by Sundar Singh in Bilaspur, Dankaur, Greater Noida, collecting samples of chenna and rasgullas. During the inspection, around 100 kilograms of rasgullas were found to be infested with flies and mosquitoes, leading to their immediate destruction.The team also checked Sonu Sweets in Bishanpur, Sector-58, Noida, where another sample of boondi laddus was taken. Meanwhile, officers Mukesh Kumar and Vijay Bahadur Patel inspected Samyak Sweets in Rasoolpur Nawada, Sector-62, where they seized 450 kilograms of boondi due to contamination and another 300 kilograms of rasgullas that were also found to be unfit for consumption. The food safety team discovered extremely unhygienic conditions at the Samyak Sweets production unit.Taking this seriously, the department initiated the suspension of the establishment's license until improvements are made, effectively halting its operations. Sarvesh Mishra noted that the campaign led to the collection of seven food samples on Tuesday, with inspections and raids continuing late into the night. He urged all sweet manufacturers and food traders to purchase food materials only from licensed or registered suppliers and to obtain receipts for every purchase.Additionally, he emphasized the importance of checking manufacturing dates, batch numbers, and other vital information when buying and selling food items. Mishra confirmed that regular inspections of food establishments and sweet-making units will persist until Diwali. Under the district magistrate's guidance, strict actions will be taken against those involved in adulteration, sales of contaminated food products, and negligence in hygiene practices.