Food watch: Consumers deserve safe, wholesome products
THE seizure of nearly 3,280 tonnes of food products worth Rs 81.8 crore during a nationwide inspection drive by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is as disturbing as it is revealing. Between September 1 and November 5, the regulator inspected over 56,000 establishments, collected 43,939 samples and issued more than 10,000 improvement notices. It also suspended 1,133 licences, cancelled 52 and initiated 410 prosecutions. These figures not only point to an enforcement effort but also expose the scale of the problem. The findings are particularly concerning for Punjab and Haryana, where food adulteration threatens consumer confidence in the region's substantial dairy economy. Punjab reported serious deficiencies in milk and dairy-product samples, while Haryana destroyed around 50,000 kg of adulterated sweets and paneer during its enforcement drive. The seizure of suspected adulterated paneer in Nuh, involving allegedly hazardous ingredients, illustrates how far unscrupulous operators can go to maximise profits.
