Srinagar: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has initiated enforcement action after four brands of ghee were declared unsafe by the National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad, and seized 2,600 kg of allegedly misbranded frozen meat during inspections in Srinagar.
According to the FDA, samples of Dairy Mohan, Apna Dairy Milk, Sahi Taj and Milk Bite ghee were declared unsafe following laboratory analysis.
Acting on the reports, the Designated Officer, Food Safety, Anantnag, seized 1,250 litres of ghee from the affected batches, valued at around ₹4.88 lakh, and prohibited their sale and distribution under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FDA said Food Safety teams in the Jammu division also collected three additional samples of the affected brands for laboratory analysis and seized another 1,277 litres of ghee worth about ₹4.97 lakh pending test results.
In a separate operation, the Food Safety team in Srinagar inspected seven establishments dealing in meat and meat products.
During the inspection, officials seized 2,600 kg of frozen meat, valued at approximately ₹5.98 lakh, from an establishment at Bubghair, Kawadara. According to the FDA, the product was found to be misbranded due to a mismatch between the package contents and the label declarations, and was also allegedly stored under unhygienic conditions.
The department said a complaint has been filed before the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, acting as the Adjudicating Officer, under provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act relating to false or misleading declarations and storage of food under unsanitary conditions.
The FDA has advised the public to report the sale of prohibited ghee batches or any suspected unsafe, adulterated or misbranded food through its toll-free helpline 104 or by emailing cfsjandk.fnd@jk.gov.in.
