VHP for probe into contamination of buckwheat flour
New Delhi, March 10
A day after reports of food poisoning cases in Noida and Gurugram surfaced due to consumption of pakoras and pooris made from contaminated buckwheat flour, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has demanded an investigation by the Union Health Ministry and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
National spokesperson for the VHP Vinod Bansal stated that the open sale of buckwheat flour should be banned, and it should only be sold in packaged food packs bearing the name of the manufacturer, date of manufacture and expiry.
“In the last few years, buckwheat flour has started appearing as a villain in Hindu festivals. On the second-third day of the fast, news comes that so many people here and there fell ill due to eating items made from buckwheat flour. Recently, even on Mahashivratri, hundreds of people had to be admitted to various hospitals in Delhi NCR. Over 250 students in a single hostel in Noida, dozens of people who had come for a wedding in Delhi and CRPF jawans also got affected by it,” he posted on X.
Bansal further said, “Food safety officials say the shelf life (expiry) of this flour is only one and a half months. It is possible that some shopkeepers or consumers are using the flour purchased during the last festival after months. For the sanctity of the festivals and safety of the people, it is necessary to seriously investigate its shortcomings @fssaiindia @MoHFW_INDIA and punish the culprits and also take necessary steps to make the public aware. Consuming fruits and other alternative food items during fasting instead of buckwheat flour can also save the devotees from this crisis.”
