Dehradun: With Diwali just around the corner, Dehradun authorities have acted swiftly to protect consumers. In a major crackdown, the Food Safety & Drug Administration (FDA) raided an unlicensed sweets warehouse in the Patel Nagar area.
Officials found evidence of plans to distribute 5,000 kilograms of substandard rasgullas across the city.
Sweets were produced in Haryana and were to be supplied to shops around Dehradun
The warehouse, located in a basement, held boxes of sweets like rasgulla, rabri, and cham cham. Some of the packing was torn open, and the sweets inside were in poor condition. Intriguingly, the warehouse had stickers showing a selling price of Rs 111.76 per kg. Authorities discovered that these sweets were produced in Haryana and were to be supplied to shops around Dehradun. But the documentation was incomplete — receipts showed shop names but no proper addresses.
Samples were taken from this warehouse
Six samples were taken from the warehouse for further testing in laboratories. The raid was led by officials from the Garhwal Mandal FDA, including Deputy Commissioner R. S. Rawat and Assistant Commissioner Manish Sayana. Senior food safety officers Ramesh Singh, Sanjay Tiwari, Santosh Kumar Singh, and Kapil Dev were involved in the action.
Assistant Commissioner Sayana warned local shopkeepers: only licensed, safe products should be sold. He urged vigilance among consumers, especially during festive times. “Buy sweets only from trusted sources. Report any suspicious products to the FDA,” he said.
State’s “zero tolerance” policy toward adulterated food remains in force
FDA Commissioner Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, along with Additional Commissioner Tajbar Singh Jaggi, affirmed that the state’s “zero tolerance” policy toward adulterated food remains in force. Under this policy, any food product found to be substandard or misleading will be acted upon immediately.
Officials also noted that this campaign will continue until Diwali. Frequent inspections will be done to ensure sweet makers and sellers comply with licensing, packaging, and quality norms.
For shoppers, there are a few safety tips:
- Check the label and license number before buying sweets.
- Avoid buying sweets from makeshift stalls lacking proper packing.
- Smell and look — if sweets are excessively sweet, stale, or off in smell, avoid them.
- Report suspicious products. The FDA says all calls will be investigated.