In view of monsoons and the ensuing festival season, the frequency of inspections and subsequent sampling has been intensified so much so that nearly 8000 samples have been drawn in the past 45 days, to ensure quality milk and milk products to the people, informed KS Pannu Commissioner Food and Drug Administration Punjab.Divulging further, CFDA informed that the Food Safety Commissionerate with the active support of State Dairy Development Department is keeping a strong vigil over the quality of milk and milk products (M&MPs). In the period falling between July 1 and August 15, 2019, the Food Safety Teams collected 1202 samples while the two Food Safety Vans collected 1211 M&MP samples including over a hundred samples each from Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana and Bathinda where maximum adulteration was unearthed in the past inspections. Coupled to this, the milk testing vans of Dairy Development Department and their labs have collected 5015 and 552 samples respectively, taking the total tally to 7980.It is heartening to learn that out of the samples tested so far, those non-conforming to standards laid down under Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 and Rules 2011, are quite less said Pannu.
He added that as per the survey conducted by FSSAI through Vimta Lab, Hyderabad, for which the surveillance sampling was done, found the quality of milk to be safe to larger extent as the samples failed largely because of low fat contents.Highlighting the role of the Dairy Development Department in the Food Safety Campaign, Pannu informed that the department organises milk checking camps through its 8 mobile vans deputed in the vicinity of major cities. The quality of milk, fat, protein and lactose is tested on the spot through adulteration check kits. The dairy offices also collect milk samples for testing from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Testing facility is being provided free of charge to the consumers. In addition Dairy Development Department organises awareness camps for the milk consumers to put them on guard against adulteration and has organised nearly 280 camps between the month of July and August 2019.They have informed the local reforms / committees and Residential Welfare Associations to contact them at helpline numbers on 0172-5027285, 2217020 to take full advantage of the facility extended by the dairy department and share secret information on the adulteration of milk and milk products if observed in their locality.