A joint inspection in Haldwani has raised concerns about the preparation and sale of festive food, after officials found food items being made without a licence in unhygienic conditions and old sweets stored at a shop.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Monika led the inspection with the Food Safety Department on Tuesday evening. The team visited a manufacturing unit in Ambedkarnagar, Gandhinagar, where batasha, mishri and other festive items were being prepared in dirty surroundings.
The utensils used in the preparation were also found to be unclean. Officials said the activity was being carried out without a food licence. The food safety officer issued a challan to the operator, identified in the report as Prabhat Jaiswal.
Old sweets found at Unchapul shop
The inspection also reached the godown of Ajay Sweets in Unchapul. Bal Mithai, chocolate and other products were found stored together, and officials reported that the sweets were considerably old.
The action took place as the administration checked food products being supplied for sale during the festival period. The findings are relevant to shoppers because both hygiene during preparation and the age and storage of sweets can affect food quality.
Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety Ajab Singh Rawat and other department officials were present during the campaign. The available report records the challan issued to the manufacturing unit but does not provide the penalty amount.
97 food samples tested by mobile unit
The Food Safety Department’s mobile testing vehicle also reached the city on Tuesday. At a location near Sindhi Chauraha, officials examined 97 samples of different food products.
The testing was conducted in the presence of SDM Monika and Virendra Bisht, the nodal officer who came from Dehradun with the mobile unit. The report said the results of the samples checked during the campaign were in line with food safety standards.
The inspection of the manufacturing unit and the mobile testing exercise were separate parts of the wider food-quality campaign. The available information does not identify the products represented by each of the 97 samples.
Municipal teams check shops and restaurants
The municipal corporation carried out separate surprise inspections at sweet shops and restaurants across the city. Teams reported dirt at some premises and found polythene during their checks, leading to challans and fines.
Under Senior Municipal Health Officer Dr C.S. Tolia, the team found polythene at a prominent sweet shop on Nainital Road near Tikonia. At a well-known sweet shop near Sindhi Chauraha, officials issued a cash challan after finding unhygienic conditions and water spread near the premises.
Another nearby sweet shop was also fined after polythene was found there. These municipal actions were separate from the Food Safety Department’s inspection of the unlicensed manufacturing unit and the old sweets at Ajay Sweets’ godown.
Consumers buying festive products in Haldwani can therefore note the distinction between the actions reported: the food safety team addressed licensing, preparation conditions and the age of sweets, while the municipal team acted on sanitation and polythene-related violations.
Conclusion
The Haldwani campaign found unlicensed preparation in unhygienic conditions, old sweets at an Unchapul godown and sanitation violations at several premises, while 97 tested food samples were reported to meet food safety standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What did officials find in the Ambedkarnagar unit?
The team found batasha, mishri and other festive items being prepared in dirty conditions. The utensils used there were also unclean.
Q. Was the Ambedkarnagar unit operating with a food licence?
No. The report said the activity was being conducted without a food licence.
Q. Who received a challan from the Food Safety Department?
The food safety officer issued a challan to the operator identified as Prabhat Jaiswal.
Q. What was found at Ajay Sweets in Unchapul?
Officials found Bal Mithai, chocolate and other products stored together. The sweets were reported to be considerably old.
Q. How many food samples were tested by the mobile unit?
The mobile testing vehicle examined 97 food samples near Sindhi Chauraha.
Q. What was the reported result of those tests?
The report said the samples checked during the campaign were in line with food safety standards.
Q. Why did municipal teams issue challans?
Municipal officials reported dirt at some premises and found polythene at sweet shops and a restaurant-related inspection site.
Q. Where was polythene found during the municipal inspection?
It was found at a prominent sweet shop on Nainital Road near Tikonia and at another sweet shop near Sindhi Chauraha.
