SRINAGAR : The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has prohibited the sale, storage, distribution and display of 10 identified ghee brands and batches across the Union Territory after laboratory tests found them to be sub-standard, unsafe and misbranded.
The action has been taken under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, following laboratory analysis conducted by the Notified Food Analyst at the National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad, and the Food Testing Laboratory, Kashmir.
The affected products include Dairy Mohan Desi Ghee (Batch No. 05), Apna Dairy Milk Desi Ghee (DM-06), Milk Bite Cow Ghee (137), Nandni Desi Ghee (ND-28), Shahi Taj Desi Ghee (134), Daawat Fresh (VT09), Nand Krishna Cow Ghee (PC-05-26), Vandu Cow Ghee (D143), Dairy Milk Desi Ghee (OM12) and Mohan Dairy Ghee (06).
Samples of the products were collected from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Anantnag, Shangus, Larnoo, Bijbehara, Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Tral and Pampore.
Laboratory examination detected beta-sitosterol/foreign vegetable fat, positive Baudouin test results, abnormal fatty-acid profiles and deviations from prescribed physicochemical parameters in the affected samples.
Following the findings, the FDA has directed all food business operators, wholesalers, distributors and retailers to immediately stop the sale, storage, distribution and display of the identified batches and ensure that the products are removed from circulation.
The concerned food business operators have also been directed to submit details of the stock of the affected batches to the respective Designated Officer within 48 hours.
Enforcement authorities have been asked to maintain strict vigil and take necessary action to prevent further circulation of the prohibited products.
The FDA said that under applicable food safety standards, ghee must be derived exclusively from milk or milk products, and ghee containing any added matter not derived exclusively from milk fat is not permitted for sale.
The prohibition has come into effect immediately across Jammu and Kashmir in the interest of public health and consumer safety.
The FDA has also advised consumers to check the brand name, batch number and date of packing while purchasing ghee and report the sale or availability of any of the prohibited batches to the concerned Food Safety authorities.
The administration clarified that the prohibitory action is a precautionary measure in the public interest and does not affect the statutory right of the concerned food business operators to seek re-analysis through an FSSAI-notified Referral Laboratory in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and rules framed thereunder.
