Srinagar, Oct 28 (KNS): In a major action aimed at safeguarding public health, the Commissioner of Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir, Smita Sethi, has issued a prohibitory order banning the manufacture, sale, distribution, import, and transportation of loose paneer containing foreign or vegetable fat across the Union Territory with immediate effect.
According an order, a copy of which lies with Kashmir News Service (KNS), under of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, comes after multiple enforcement drives revealed large consignments of paneer being brought into J&K from neighboring states under unhygienic and non-refrigerated conditions. Officials said the seized stocks lacked proper bills, invoices, and warranty declarations, a violation of Regulation 2.1.14(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
Tests conducted by the National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad, confirmed that samples of the seized paneer contained Beta-Sitosterol, indicating the presence of vegetable or foreign fat a clear contravention of standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThe paneer was consequently declared unsafe for human consumption.
The Commissioner noted that such adulteration and unhygienic handling of high-risk food items pose a direct threat to public health. “The loose paneer consignments containing foreign fat and without any traceability pose a serious risk to public health,” the order reads.
The ban will remain in force until further orders and may only be revoked once it is established that food business operators comply fully with the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006, and related regulations.
Officials have also warned traders and transporters against violating the order, emphasizing that strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in the sale or distribution of unsafe or unverified dairy products in the region. (KNS)