Beware! Your Diwali sweet may be contaminated

Contact:-ajmeralam2000@gmail.com/Cell:-919906103001

JMC eyes open for adulterated sweets during Diwali

• There are no proper checks for keeping tab on the quality of sweets being sold in Jammu city
• There are just food inspectors in the city who are responsible for collecting the samples
• Sweets have been stocked by sellers a few days in advance and raids were increased manifold this week only
• JMC recovers 20 quintals of Khoya from auto rickshaw at Shiveji Market near Sales Tax Post, Jammu Railway Station
• Special squads intensify checking of adulterated milk products
• Khoya seizure is the result of continues efforts and campaign by JMC against adulteration: Mubarak Singh

By Ajmer Alam Wani

JAMMU: Festival season has started and Diwali preparations across the city of temples have set in motion. With onset of Diwali business at sweet shops reaches it peaks. On this auspicious Dhanteras, two days ahead of the Festival of Lights, comes a grim warning. Be careful as you slurp Rasgollas and down those sweets this Diwali. They may be fake and adulterated. Exchanging and consuming sweets is a major tradition during Diwali. With such heavy demand during the festival season, adulterated sweets are sold in bulk in the market. Relevant to mention here that in several recent incidents in Jammu city Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) teams have seized sweets and milk products which were found adulterated. There are no proper checks for keeping tab on the quality of sweets being sold in Jammu city. There are just food inspectors in the city who are responsible for collecting the samples. The report of these samples comes after many days and by the time entire adulterated sweets are already consumed. There is no fool proof system of collecting and sending these samples to the testing laboratory. By the time a sample reaches the lab for testing it is already unfit for human consumption. Already shops from where the samples had failed in the past are still doing brisk business. These sweets are prepared in bulk and months in advance to be sold around Diwali. Often to meet the demand, traders buy sweets from outside sweetmeat shops from major hubs procuring these sweets. Being a disorganized industry there are no quality checks. To cope up with the demand, oil and khoya used in preparing these sweets is highly adulterated. Poisonous aregemone mexicana and deadly butter yellow dye is added to the oil. Refined palm stearin, a non-edible by-product of crude palm oil, is used as an adulterant in Vanaspati. Stearin is largely used to manufacture soaps. Khoya is prepared by mashing blotting paper and toilet paper in milk. Synthetic khoya is prepared by adding urea. Spurious 'Mawa' used in tempting sweets has been seized in large quantity during surprise police raids in various regions this week. Seizure of such stuff is the tip of an iceberg as sweets have been stocked by sellers a few days in advance and raids were increased manifold this week only. Today on Dhanteras, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) team headed by Medical Officer, Dr. Anwar Choudhary, more than 20 quintals of Khoya (which could be spurious) have been seized from auto Rickshaw, while the people carrying the Khoya in auto rickshaw managed to abscond.

On specific information the Flying Squads of Jammu Municipal Committee (JMC) headed by Health Officer, intercepted an auto rickshaw outside at Railway Station Jammu and seized the spurious 20 quintals khoya (milk product) which was reportedly downloaded three auto rickshaws at Railway Station Jammu. The owners of the consignment fled away from the spot and the seized khoya has been kept into cold store and samples have been lifted for authentication of the purity of the product.

JMC Commissioner, Mubarak Singh said described the seizure of 20 Qtl Khoya the result of continues efforts and campaign by Corporation against adulteration. He added that JMC teams have been conducting continues raids and checks across the Jammu city and under PFA samples are collected and sent to laboratory for testing. After getting the sample reports, challans are presented in the court, he added.

Dr Anwar Choudhary said that about 20 quintals of Khoya has been recovered from outside Jammu Railway Station from an auto at Shiveji Market opposite Sales Tax Post. He added, “We were having inputs that a consignment of Khoya had been unloaded from Shalimar train today which was likely to be delivered to some sweet shops at Hari Market area”. He mentioned, “As no one has come out with the claim on Khoya, it indicates that the quality is poor and adulterated”.

Dr Choudhary added that the consignment worth about rupees 1 to 1.50 lakh has been taken in custody and kept in cold storage, while he mentioned that no one has claimed the responsibility or ownership of consignment so-far. “We are waiting for the claim and will also send some samples to lab for testing the quality. If no one comes out with the claim, action will be taken under law. As three people who were carrying the Khoya managed to give a slip to JMC team, indications are clear that the quality of Khoya which has been seized is not up to mark and must be adulterated.

In yet another recovery of adulterated stuff, JMC team has taken six samples from, Rehari, Hari Market, Bhagwati Nagar, Satwari and other area and made 25 to 30 challans today.

Special Checking Squads have been constituted by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal as decided in a high level meeting of prominent citizens convened by ministers at Jammu recently to check the quality of the sweets and other food items during the celebration of Diwali. It was pointed out by the people that adulterated milk products and sweets are being imported into the state from Lakhanpur and Railway Station Jammu which can cause various health problems.

A number of committees have been framed to conduct random checking of the sweets and other essential commodities in all the markets during the festival season.

Special squads have been deputed to Lakhnapur and Railway Station Jammu to check the import of the adulterated milk products during the festive occasion which can lead to various health problems. These squads are conducting regular market checking to ascertain the quality of the food items special sweets on the Diwali festival.

It is fact that the sweets are an integral part of Diwali celebrations. They make your mouth water but what you now need to be on guard as they could be made out of adulterated milk and khoya. So as a customer how can you really ensure that the Pedha or Burfi you pick up is unadulterated and of the purest form? "It could generally be in the colour they use or the Mava they may use. The foremost thing you can do is buy only from a genuine shop and also understand that someone who may be giving you something cheaper might only mean that he is using cheaper products. So the trick is to purchase sweets from a reputed shop or buy ones that are less colourful. And it is also important to keep in mind that the product should be sampled to ensure it doesn't have inferior oil or Dalda. And as much as it is difficult for us to detect something amiss the administration is not taking any chances with a special task force instituted during festivals that will keep a tab on quality of milk and sweets. Keeping in view the adulteration and health aspect of consumers, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has instituted special squads and keeping constant vigil. Just a day before JMC teams managed to raid Lovely Sweets Shop and seize some milk and other allied products acting over some complaints of adulteration. JMC eyes also open for adulterated sweets during Diwali. With authorities gearing up to crackdown on Mithai shops using stale Mava, this Diwali, before you bite into that alluring assortment of sweets, make sure they are freshly baked. It is advisable not to touch sweets during Diwali. With no check on adulteration one cannot be sure of the sweets being sold and consumed. Adulterated sweets can land you in serious health trouble. Wishing everyone a healthy festive season ahead, stay away from adulterated sweets… Please!!