Greater Noida Food Safety Officials Ramp Up Inspections Ahead of Navratri
Greater Noidas food safety department intensifies inspections to ensure food quality and safety during the festive season.
Greater Noida, October 16 (Daily Kiran) : In Greater Noida, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has intensified its inspection efforts in light of the upcoming Sharadiya Navratri festival. The move aims to curb adulteration and ensure the availability of safe food and beverages for the public.
Following directives from the district magistrate, food safety officials conducted surprise inspections late into the night on October 15 and throughout the day on October 16. Teams targeted sweet and snack manufacturing units, online delivery stores, and various food establishments across the district.
During these inspections, officials collected samples of ten different food items for laboratory testing. Instances of irregularities in labeling led to the seizure of certain food products, while notices were issued to establishments found lacking in cleanliness.
Assistant Food Commissioner Sarvesh Mishra stated that with a surge in demand for food items during the festival, inspection teams are working continuously. The primary goal is to ensure food quality and take action against establishments violating food safety standards.
Teams led by food safety officers Mukesh Kumar and Ritu Saxena inspected sweet and snack manufacturing units in Sectors 63, 67, and 68. They collected samples of khoya and a spice mix used in snacks for quality testing.
Another team, headed by officer Ravindra Nath Verma, examined an online platform in Dadri, where two batches of Vaidyanath honey were sampled. The products lacked proper use-by dates, and labeling irregularities were also noted, resulting in the seizure of these items.
In a separate inspection of Domino’s Pizza’s base kitchen in Ecotech-1, officers O.P. Singh and Amar Bahadur Saroj collected samples of both open and packaged refined soybean oil, paneer, and vegetable momos. The cleanliness standards at the facility were deemed unsatisfactory, prompting the issuance of a corrective notice.
Further inspections by officers Vijay Bahadur Patel and Vishal Gupta at Swiggy Instamart in Sector 44 and BigBasket in Sector 142 revealed unsatisfactory cleanliness and missing essential records, leading to notices for both establishments.
A team from Meerut, led by officer Satyendra Tomar, inspected the Jepto store in Tugalpur, Greater Noida, where a sample of roasted chickpeas was collected. The store failed to maintain adequate cleanliness and did not provide necessary documentation, resulting in a notice.
In Knowledge Park-3, officers Mukesh Kumar and Vijay Bahadur Patel inspected a Flipkart store, collecting a sample of mustard oil. The absence of batch numbers, packing dates, and expiry dates on the label led to the seizure of approximately 40 kilograms of mustard oil.
The department has emphasized compliance with labeling and safety standards. Food vendors have been instructed to procure food items solely from licensed or registered suppliers under the Food Safety Act. They must ensure to obtain bills for every purchase and verify critical information such as manufacturing dates, batch numbers, and expiry dates before selling to consumers.
Assistant Food Commissioner Sarvesh Mishra confirmed that inspections will continue under the district magistrate’s guidance. Food samples will be tested in laboratories, and any violations will be addressed according to regulations.
