Look before you buy. That seems to be the dictum when it comes to buying sweets in the festive season.
The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized 21,225 kg mawa, 1,55,652 kg edible oil and vanaspati ghee and 46,976kg mithai that was adulterated.
Girish Bapat, Minister for FDA, told reporters that officials had also seized 17,552 kg special barfi which was brought from Ahmedabad in Gujarat via train in conditions that were harmful to health if consumed. Another 32,509 kg of adulterated rawa, farsan and maida have also been seized across the state.
Bapat called on people to purchase sweets only from registered, licensed shops and desist from making purchases from hawkers even if they were priced cheaper. People can also lodge complaints on the FDA helpline 1800222365.
The state government is also working on a legislation making life imprisonment the maximum punishment for food adulteration.
Bapat said they had conducted 156 raids on illegal guthka sellers in 2018-19 and seized stocks worth Rs 29.95 crore. A total of 340 cases were also filed.
Since 2012, when the crackdown on guthka began, the FDA has seized stocks of Rs 171 crore, lodged 3,727 FIRs and lodged 4,600 cases. Bapat added they were planning to try these cases in a fast-track court for speedier convictions.
In September, the Supreme Court (SC) also allowed food safety officers to launch criminal proceedings under the Indian Penal Code.
The state government has banned the production, storage, sale and distribution of gutkha, pan masala, flavoured scented tobacco and supari.
