Samples of milk, dairy items collected to check for adulteration in Punjab

As many as 135 samples of milk and other dairy products were collected from different places in Punjab by food safety teams as part of a drive against adulteration, officials said Wednesday.

The teams collected samples of 'desi ghee' (clarified butter), dahi (curd), cheese, butter, 'khoya', 'burfi' etc., from various food business operators across the state, they said.

The samples have been sent to the State Food Safety Laboratory in Kharar for analysis, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner K S Pannu said in an official release.

The state government is taking the matter of adulteration of food materials very seriously and regular inspections are being carried out, he added.

"Our mandate is to ensure availability of quality food and compliance with standards laid down by the FSSAI," Pannu said, adding that food business operators have been instructed to maintain strict hygiene and sanitary conditions.

He said besides regular inspection of milk and milk products, special campaigns focusing on food items like fruits, condiments and others were also being conducted.

The commissioner stated that action as per the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 would be taken against the food operators whose samples fail the quality test.