FDA’s anti-adulteration drive gathers steam after food poisoning incident

Pune: The Pune Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a large-scale crackdown on dairies across the city following the Wadgaon Sheri food poisoning incident, wherein a 13-year-old boy was hospitalised after allegedly consuming contaminated pedhas.A senior FDA official said, “We have suspended the licence of the concerned dairy in Wadgaon Sheri, instructing them to stop production at the manufacturing facility. We have also collected samples for further investigation.”Food safety experts said milk and other fresh dairy products are highly susceptible to bacterial growth and spoilage, if not stored and transported under proper refrigeration. There is a chance that disruptions in the cold chain can increase the risk of contamination and foodborne illnesses.“The risk of spoilage of fresh products, especially in the summer months, is high. We have to ensure refrigeration of fresh products so that the quality remains intact,” said a dairy owner near Salunkhe Vihar Road.“There have been hours without electricity this summer. It has been challenging, but we have managed to maintain the quality of fresh dairy products,” said a dairy owner near Hadapsar.Joint commissioner (food), FDA Pune, Digambar Bhogawade said, “We have assigned designated food safety officers to check dairies.

They will inspect handling and storage of milk and other related products, such as milk, curd, paneer, khoya (mawa), cream, butter, ghee-based sweets, shrikhand, lassi, all of which become highly vulnerable to spoilage if not stored correctly. Officers will also collect samples of raw materials used to make the products for quality checks.

”The drive has been intensified to check adulteration and unhygienic practices.Pashan resident Garima Pillai said, “It is the need of the hour. We purchase our milk and paneer from nearby dairies and don’t know the level of hygiene maintained while manufacturing. Regular checks will ensure the needful happens.”