Mehak Masala resold expired spices: District Health Officer

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 20

The Health Department has said that the spice (masala) factory they sealed in Bal Kalan village, Majitha Road, on Sunday, was indulged in repackaging of the expired products with new expiry dates.

Officials had claimed that they had found expired spices worth over Rs 20 lakh stored in the factory, which ran under the brand name of Mehak Masala.

The factory claims to supply food ingredients to various states in the country. “The invoices of the factory have revealed that spices were being sent to as far as Mumbai and UP,” said an official. The website of the company claims its presence in the markets of Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and United Kingdom.

District Health Officer Dr Lakhbir Singh Bhagowalia said, “70 per cent of the spices at the store at the time of raid was expired. The factory owners claimed that they were about to destroy the expired goods. The excuse is not plausible as fresh and expired goods were kept in close proximity in the same store.”

The officials claimed that the manufacturing and packaging address of Gate Hakima is also meant to misguide checking teams. “The manufacturing and packaging was being done in Bal Khurd village, but the address printed on packets was that of Gate Hakima,” said Dr Baghowalia.

The department has collected 10 samples — three of loose spices and seven of the expired items. “We have sent the samples for testing and requested for reports in the shortest possible time. We hope to get the reports in three days and will pursue action based on the reports,” said the health official.