New Delhi, Oct 30 Over 4,000 kg of food products, including khoya, paneer and sweets, have been destroyed in enforcement drives conducted by the Delhi Food Safety Department over the past two months, during which 85 of the 290 samples tested were found unsafe or below prescribed standards, officials said on Friday.
According to the statement, the department undertook 30 enforcement actions, intensifying inspections and sampling during Navratri and the festive season amid increased demand for dairy products, sweets and other food items.
The crackdown focused on ghee, paneer, khoya and sweets, with repeated inspections in vulnerable areas and wholesale markets, including Mori Gate Khoya Mandi, Okhla and Janakpuri.
In a recent raid on unlicensed sweet-manufacturing units in Nihal Vihar, 12 premises were identified, and 400 kg of sweets were destroyed. Fourteen samples were also collected for testing, officials said.
The department extended its inspections to restaurants, institutional clubs, banquet halls, retail outlets and food manufacturing units. It also covered e-commerce dark stores associated with platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Amazon and Reliance.
Wholesalers selling food products through YouTube and Instagram were also brought under the surveillance exercise. Inspections were conducted at hospital kitchens to assess food safety and hygiene practices.
Special checks during Navratri focused on products consumed during fasting, including kuttu atta, samak rice, singhara atta and sabudana. The department also acted on complaints received through CM Jansunwai and other public grievance channels.
In a separate inspection drive, seven bakery manufacturing and retail premises were inspected and 10 food samples collected. Improvement notices were recommended for two establishments following hygiene and compliance assessments.
Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the department had been directed to maintain strict vigilance across the food supply chain, from manufacturing units and wholesale markets to retail outlets, restaurants and online platforms.
“Food safety is a public health priority, and there will be no compromise on the quality and safety of food consumed by Delhi’s residents,” he said.
The minister informed that inspections and sampling would continue, particularly during the festive and wedding seasons, to ensure accountability among food business operators and protect consumers from unsafe food.
The department has urged food business operators to maintain prescribed hygiene standards and comply with food safety regulations.
(PTI News)
