Food safety crackdown in Himachal: Apple Cider Vinegar, Kiwi Juice, and Black Grape Jam Fail quality tests
In a rigorous drive to ensure food safety, the Himachal Pradesh Food Safety Department recently flagged multiple products after quality checks at Parwanoo, the state’s entry point. Apple cider vinegar, black grape jam, and kiwi juice samples failed to meet required standards during routine testing at the CTL labs in Kandaghat and Chandigarh, raising serious health concerns.
Of the six products tested, three were found non-compliant, with misbranding being a significant issue for black grape jam and kiwi juice. However, it was the apple cider vinegar that presented the most alarming results. Not only was it misbranded, but it also failed safety assessments, deeming it unsafe for consumption and posing a considerable health risk to consumers.
Acting swiftly, the Food Safety Department issued a notice to the vinegar manufacturer, mandating an immediate halt in production and a recall of all affected products from the market. Arun Chauhan, Assistant Commissioner of the Food Safety Department in Solan, emphasized the department’s dedication to public safety. “We have enforced strict action against the manufacturer to stop production. Public safety is our top priority, and we are determined to ensure such harmful products do not reach consumers,” he confirmed.
This inspection was part of a larger sampling effort in the Solan district, where six food items were initially tested, including soya chunks, tomato gravy, and paneer. Furthermore, the department has recently collected an additional 24 samples, covering a range of products like black gram, vegetable ghee, pan masala, cow ghee, and popular sweets like doda barfi, son papdi, and rasgulla, with results anticipated in the coming days.
In response to these troubling findings, the Food Safety Department has stepped up its monitoring efforts across the district, aiming to swiftly address any potential threats to public health and reinforce the safety of food products available to consumers.
