Jammu, Nov. 1 -- The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has geared up their drive against the adulteration in the milk products during festive season in the city.
The department has seized and destroyed 3.5 quintal of unclaimed Khoya from Railway Station, which was brought from the outer state to make more profit in the sweets during the festive season.
"We randomly check the quality of the eatables being selling in the shops in Jammu, throughout the year, but during the festive season, we made it a routine work on daily basis," said Dr Vinod Sharma, Health Officer, JMC.
"The 350 kg Khoya seized from Railway Station few days back has been destroyed, however no toxic element was found in it, so it was not unsafe, but substandard," he added.
The Khoya recovered from Railway station was not claimed by anyone in the city, but according to the Lab reports it was substandard.
The JMC is also checking the quality of the sweets in the shops and sending the samples to the laboratory for testing. Samples of sweets from more than 30 shops of the city have been sent till now and their reports are still awaited.
"We are regularly collecting the samples and sending it to lab for quality testing, but if we find someone selling eatables in unhygienic condition, we destroy the eatable and fine them on the spot, said Dr. Sharma.
"I have also requested the Lab authorities to make the reports as soon as possible, so that we can take appropriate action against the shopkeeper's whoare selling the substandard sweets," he added.
The Health Officer informed HT that only 10% eatables are substandard in Jammu city and that too is not unsafe, but substandard. The shopkeepers use to add more sugar or basan in sweets to make more profit during the festive season, when the consumption of sweets is more.
The department has a sharp eye on the sweets shops of the city, whose sale is above 12 Lakhs per year.
The health officer also appealed the shopkeepers not to add color in the sweets, and consumers should also not buy sweets which are more colorful.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.