Ahead of the upcoming festive season, the Food Safety Department has launched a major enforcement drive against food adulteration in the Bassi area of Jaipur Rural, Rajasthan. Operating under the statewide 'Shuddh Aahar Milawat Par War' campaign, food safety officials conducted surprise raids across key sweet shops located in Bassi's main market. The operation aimed to curb the sale of sub-standard and unsafe sweet products, ensuring that merchants attempting to profit by compromising public health face strict administrative scrutiny.
Massive Seizure and On-Site Destruction at Sharma Misthan Bhandar
During the inspection drive, the food safety team targeted Sharma Misthan Bhandar, situated on Tunga Road, where a large quantity of highly suspicious milk cake was discovered. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Jaipur II, Dr. Manish Mittal, stated that the establishment had been sourcing the milk cake from Alwar at an extremely cheap rate of approximately ₹180 per kilogram. The shop operator was subsequently re-selling this product to unsuspecting customers from the store counter at ₹360 per kilogram, double its procurement price.
Recognizing the immediate threat to consumer health, the inspection team collected official samples for laboratory analysis and confiscated three large cartons stored at the premises. These cartons contained a total of 60 individual packets, amounting to nearly 125 kilograms of adulterated milk cake. To prevent this hazardous and contaminated confection from reaching consumers, the entire 125 kg consignment was destroyed on the spot under official supervision.
Widespread Market Inspections and Laboratory Testing
The anti-adulteration drive extended beyond a single establishment to encompass several prominent sweet vendors across the main market area. Food safety officers inspected Shri Ambe Jodhpur Misthan Bhandar and collected a sample of their milk cake for evaluation. Furthermore, the team conducted a detailed inspection at Lal Ji Jodhpur Misthan Bhandar, where they collected samples of milk cake, mawa barfi, and gulab jamun.
All gathered samples are being dispatched to the State Food Laboratory for comprehensive testing. Authorities emphasized that once the official laboratory reports are received, stringent legal proceedings will be initiated against any defaulting shop owners in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Strict Operational Guidelines and Hygiene Directives for Vendors
The enforcement team, comprising food safety officers Sushil Chotwani, Rajesh Nagar, and Rimika Mathur, also issued firm operational directives to all sweet vendors operating in the market. The officers strictly instructed shop owners to avoid or minimize the use of synthetic or harmful artificial food colorings in their preparations.
Additionally, shopkeepers were mandated to maintain rigorous hygiene standards within their commercial premises, keep all prepared food items properly covered, and rely exclusively on high-quality, verified mawa for sweet production. The officials warned that inspection drives will continue relentlessly throughout the festival period to safeguard public health.
