With the onset of the festive season, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department of Uttarakhand has launched a special campaign to curb food adulteration. Teams across all districts have started collecting samples of food items to ensure quality compliance.
Health Secretary and Commissioner of Food Safety, Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, said that during the campaign, strict checks will be carried out on milk and milk-based products, edible oils, ghee, sweets, spices, flour, maida, gram flour, dry fruits, and buckwheat flour. Samples will be taken from manufacturing units, wholesalers, and retailers for testing at government laboratories.
Food safety officials have been directed to conduct regular raids and immediately send suspicious samples for lab testing. Products found unsafe or unfit for human consumption will lead to strict action, including FIRs, license cancellation, and prosecution under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Additionally, government laboratories must submit weekly reports to the headquarters. Based on these findings, swift action will be taken against violators. Consumers can also report complaints regarding substandard food items through helplines and WhatsApp. Dr. Kumar further added that samples will also be tested at FSSAI-approved labs in Delhi and Uttarakhand, and reports will be made public every week to ensure transparency.
