The alarming incident of addition of over 2000 quintals of rotten, foul smelling wheat to normal wheat for production of flour at a mill in Alamgir, Ludhiana forced the Food Safety Commisssionerate to take immediate steps to check the sale of flour ‘unfit for human consumption’, informed Mr. KS Pannu Commissioner Food and Drug Administration Punjab.“One may opt out of fruits, sweets or paneer out of one’s meals but shunning flour out of Indian meals, especially that of middle and lower middle class is near impossible as of now. So, it is imperative to immediately check the sale of sub standard flour”, said Pannu.Giving details of the strategy, the Commissioner informed that working out the availability of the manpower, 22 teams have been constituted and directed to check all the suspects. In two days, over a hundred flour mills have been inspected state wide and extensive sampling has been done.
The results of the samples are awaited and the most stringent action prescribed under law would be taken against the adulterators, said he. Simultaneously, the flour mill owners are being sensitized to procure good quality wheat from FCI, registered Arhtiyas or other trusted sources. They are being advised to maintain hygiene in the mill premises and obtain license from FSSAI.It is pertinent to mention that the raid by joint team of Food Safety Officers and Dairy Development officers from Sangrur at Bhagwati Agro Products Manufacturing Unit in Alamgir, Ludhiana on Monday revealed the case of 2000 quintals of highly damaged wheat being added to quality wheat for production of atta and maida.In two days, flour mills inspected include amongst others those in Mohali, Kharar, Ropar, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Abohar, Muktsar, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Barnala, SBS Nagar and Mansa.