FDA drive to keep Diwali really sweet

In the run-up to Diwali,the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will conduct random inspections and on-the-spot tests to check quality of milk and milk products like khoya,besides other ingredients used in making sweetmeat like rawa,maida and other flour.

In the run-up to Diwali,the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will conduct random inspections and on-the-spot tests to check quality of milk and milk products like khoya,besides other ingredients used in making sweetmeat like rawa,maida and other flour. The drives starts Monday.

Already,a special drive against adulteration of food launched in August last year is on. So far 305 samples of milk were inspected of which 60 were found to be substandard. FDA Joint Commissioner Shashikant Kekare said that out of 305 samples of milk collected,at least 60 were found to be substandard. It was found that the milk had been first diluted with water and then skimmed milk (milk with removed fat) powder and glucose were added to make it look dense. Fines amounting to Rs 3.20 lakh have been collected from errant persons from 16 places in Pune division.

Recent surveys had shown that the state was top in the country in milk adulteration. Sugar,cooking soda and even urea are among substances often used to adulterate milk. Addition of water to milk is also common.

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The largescale adulteration brought the entire milk chain from production,collection and chilling centres to diaries and retailers under the administration scanner. A total of 30 lakh litre of milk is produced in Pune district,while Pune division that includes Sangli,Satara and Kolhapur districts produces around 70 lakh litre every day.

FDA officials said that consumers should be aware that fat content of milk is around 4.5 per cent. The fat content of pure cow milk is 3.5 per cent,buffalo milk 6.0 per cent,toned milk 3.0 per cent and double toned milk 1.5 per cent,they said. Consumers should ensure that date of packing is mentioned on milk packets. FDA officials have urged milk producers to get their registration and licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Meanwhile,the FDA has conducted a series of meetings with shopkeepers in Pune,Mumbai,Aurangabad,Thane,Nashik,Amravati and Nagpur divisions and has instructed food vendors to take precautionary measures to ensure a safe Diwali.

Samples of mawa will also be tested to check content of sugar and starch and the colour additives. The FDA has issued a list of precautions like use of gloves and head caps by workers at sweetmeat shops to prevent food contamination.

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