DC takes note of social media post on substandard foods

Amritsar, July 30

Even as the food wing of the Health Department is busy taking token action and collecting its targeted number of food samples, residents are perturbed over the poor quality of food being sold to them.

lax attitude

Residents complain that even though a large number of samples are collected and many of them fail the quality test, the Health Department is yet to take stringent action which sends across a message that someone is keeping an eye on substandard foods being sold in the marketplaces.

They complain that even though a large number of samples are collected and many of them fail the quality test, the Health Department is yet to take stringent action which sends across a message that someone is keeping an eye on substandard foods being sold in the marketplaces.

In a recent case, where in a local resident came across bottles of beverages which had no mention of manufacturing date or expiry date on it, when complained about it on a social media platform, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori commented that he has conveyed the authorities concerned to take action.

While this social media was lucky as the DC himself took notice, there are many who do not have such luck.

Supreet Kaur, a local resident who purchased sweets from a famous shop on the Lawrence Road last evening, said, “The packaged sweet I had purchased had fungus inside it. I tried to talk to the employees, but everyone tried to shift the blame on me.” She said she opened the packet nearly an hour after purchasing it and fungus was already inside it.

And these are merely two instances which had been reported in the last 24 hours. “The state of affairs is such that the Health Department is not concerned. Even though the Food Safety and Standards Act is in place, department officials seem to be concerned only about collecting samples, as no action against the culprits is being seen,” said Joginder Singh, a senior citizen.

Residents hope that as the matter is in the knowledge of the Deputy Commissioner, department officials too would wake up from their slumber and ensure that quality food is sold to the consumers.

The residents said they hope that with the matter now in the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, the department officials too would wake up from their slumber and ensure that quality foods are sold to the consumers.