To ensure availability of unadulterated milk products, sweets and bakery items during the upcoming festive season, Punjab's Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has directed the health authorities in the state to set up district-level teams to check food quality.
The Health minister said on Sunday that the state government was fully committed to provide nutritious, hygienic and unadulterated food products to people of the state.
He told the health authorities that if any retailer or manufacturer is found indulging in unethical practice, strict action would be taken against the violator under the Food Safety Standards and Regulation Act.
Sidhu said people indulged in food adulteration would not be spared at any cost and that checking does not mean to harass anyone but to ensure availability of hygienic and quality food products.
Giving details of the activities of the Food Safety Teams across the state, Commissioner Food and Drug Administration Kahan Singh Pannu said a total of 849 samples have been collected from different parts of the state last month.
"As many as 690 samples have been found safe while 159 samples were found substandard. A total of 340 cases have been filed before Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADC) whereas the number of cases filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) is eight," Pannu said.
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He further said fines worth Rs 24.50 lakh have been imposed on the offenders.
Pannu said apart from the inspections, the Food Safety Teams have been carrying out awareness activities and a total of 75 sensitisation camps have been organised to impart special training to manufacturers and retailers last month across the state to make them aware of various provisions of the Food Safety Standards and Regulation Act.
He said these training sessions were intended to provide relevant and practical insights about food safety hazards, food safety, standards, food safety management systems and related legal provisions under the Act.