SRINAGAR: The sale of sub-standard mustard oil with impunity in Kashmir valley by duplicating renowned P Mark oil have brought under scanner the lakadiscal working style of Food Safety Authority, Jammu and Kashmir especially the concerned Food Safety Officers.
The lifting of samples of food and eatable items is not upto the mark which prompted the sale of substandard consumable items in the market at alarming scale, said our reliable sources in Drugs and Food Control Organization.
The spurious, substandard and mis branded food items has made its presence everywhere in markets at much bigger scale in Jammu and Kashmir which is silently playing fraught with health of consumers in Union Territory of J&K.
“The Doctor Association Kashmir has time and again raised the issue of rampant sale of substandard food items in the region leading to alarming rise in serious health issues among the citizens especially the youngsters. However, nothing is visible on ground at desired level to curb this ever growing menace” reveals an officer of Food Safety Authority, J&K.
The situation is more deplorable among eateries which is growing at 15 to 20 % annually and engaged in selling of large varities of food items.
From mixing harmful stuff like Chinese salt ,(Ajjiomoto), cornflour, food colors beyond permissible limit and Sodium bicarbonate in preparation of mayaonese, pizza, juice, tomato sauce, noodles, soups, the eateries openly indulged in preparation of food items under most unhygienic conditions in contravention of conditions laid down under Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.
Expressing concern over the utter neglect maintained by officials of FSA against the adulteration in food items, reliable sources said “Use of substandard cooking oil and consumption of reused oil in most of these restaurants is another alarming issue which is playing havoc with the health of youngsters who are considered to be the major consumers”
Appalling situation is prevailing in kitchens of restaurants, dhabas and especially hundreds of home run food outlets which recently mushroomed in twin cities of Srinagar as well as Jammu and operte in tie up with online food delivery outlets Swiggy and Zomato, reveals one FSO posted in Jammu on condition of anonymity.
Strangely, all of these were issued licences by the designated officers of FSA despite the fact most of them donot meet the laid down norms.
Money and free meals have ensured uninterrupted operation of most of these eateries as well as sale of substandard and mis branded food items in the region, added sources.
Everyone is aware about presence of adulterated, misbranded and sub standard food items in the market and the issue of sub standard counterfeit P Mark mustard oil caught attention of the FSA only by chance when the tin accidently leaked in the store and Proprietor of Malik General Store at Kulgam brought the same for personal consumption at home, reveal FSA officer.
Consequent upon its use, the owner of Malik General Store got suspicious about its quality and return consignment of 415 tin to its dealer in Jammu.
On the way, the Kulgam police took the driver of truck bearing No JK13E 9933 alongwith consigment into custody. On October 22, the concerned officers of FSA took samples of mustard oil which were confirmed as sub standard and unsafe for consumption in its reports on Oct 30.
Later, the authority conducted series of raids in Baramulla, Anantnag and Ganderbal which led to the seizure of nearly 715 tins of duplicate sub standard P Mark Mustard oil.
The local representatives of P Mark Mustard oil in Kashmir has confirmed that the seized tins donot belong to the company as the same are counterfeit which is a handiwork of mafia engaged in selling substandard edible oil by falsely branding as ap-Mark mustard oil.
The issue was first broke out by Early Time Newspaper which claimed that the seized counterfeit consignment of 415 P Mark Mustard oil was supplied to Malik General Store by a Jammu based M/S Arti Enterprises who is reportedly not an authorised dealer of P Mark edible oil in J&K
Reliable sources in Food Safety Authority said that the sale of substandard edible mustard oil by counterfeit renowned brand is a handiwork of well organised gang of influential businessmen and there are every possibility that they managed to escape from clutches of law enforcement agencies because of their immense clout in police and administration.
Speaking to JK Global News, Shakeel Ul Rehman, Food Commissioner, J&K said ” We have done our duty and rest it’s upto the law enforcement agencies to book the culprit for playing with health and life gullible citizens.
On the issue of sale of sub standard food items under compromised hygiene condition, he said ” The ground team are doing their best to book the culprits and system will be rejuvenate and revamped where the reports are not upto mark”. No one will be spared for jeopardizing health of citizens, added Rehman.