Health Dept cracks down on unsafe food amid festival season; 7 samples sent to lab

With the festive season approaching, the district health department has intensified its efforts to ensure food safety and hygiene at eateries and sweet shops across the district. Teams from the Food Wing are conducting surprise inspections to check food quality and cleanliness, particularly at establishments where snacks and sweets are prepared in large quantities for public consumption.

As part of this campaign, the department has issued notices to two pakora shops near Pul Podian for poor hygiene and the repeated use of the same oil for frying. The action followed public complaints about unhygienic practices at these long-running shops.

A team led by Assistant Food Commissioner Rajinderpal Singh and Food Safety Officer Rajni Rani collected two oil samples from the shops and found multiple violations. Pakoras were being prepared in unclean surroundings, with dirt and flies near the frying area. Workers were not wearing aprons, gloves, or caps, and the fried items were left uncovered, officials reported.

“The shops have been directed to clean their premises within a week. If they fail to comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, they will face sealing and strict legal action,” said Rajinderpal Singh.

The department also conducted raids in Nwa Pind, Tarsikka, and Khalchian, where five varieties of sweets—Khoya, Khoya Barfi, Patisha, and two types of Vark Wali Barfi—were sampled. In total, seven food samples were collected and have been sent to the laboratory for testing.

Singh stated that the department’s primary goal is to ensure that food sold during the festive season is safe and properly labeled. “Sweet shop owners must display manufacturing and expiry dates on all products. Selling expired or undated sweets is a serious violation and poses a public health risk,” he added.