Health Dept collects 102 food samples

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 1

The food wing of the Health Department has collected a total of 102 samples of food items from various shops in the district during September. The district health officer, Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon, said the sampling drive would be intensified in the coming days in view of the Diwali and other festivals.

“Apart from shops in the city, we have covered areas such as Rayya, Jandiala, Baba Bakala and the Tarn Taran road. The aim is to cover each and every market before the onset of the festival season because it is during this time that the demand for sweets reaches its peak,” he said.

Dr Kahlon said at least 30 samples collected during August have failed on quality parametres. “We have issued notices to all shops from where these samples were collected. They can apply for rechecking of the samples within a month,” he said.

Dr Kahlon said at the time of sampling four separate packets of a sample are taken, so that if the owner is not satisfied with the first report, the second sample preserved with the department could be sent for re-testing.