Key Update

In a coordinated effort to curb adulteration and safeguard public health, District Food Safety officials joined hands with consumer protection groups to conduct surprise inspections at several milk parlours in Tirupati on Wednesday. The enforcement drive aimed to check the quality of milk and dairy products being sold to consumers. District Food Safety Officer Maddileti and Jagadeesh led the operation—representatives from the National Consumer Associations Federation, along with District Consumer Association President P. Rajareddy also took part in the inspections, strengthening the joint monitoring effort.

Adulteration Detected During Preliminary Tests

During the inspections, officials carried out on-the-spot preliminary tests to assess milk quality. These tests revealed starch adulteration in one outlet, while another shop was found selling milk diluted with water. To ensure a thorough investigation, the team collected samples from all inspected parlours and sent them to the State Food Safety and Standards Laboratory for detailed analysis. Authorities stated that further action would depend on the laboratory results. In addition to milk adulteration, officials also discovered substandard and unlabeled dairy products, including ghee, paneer, and butter. Vendors had displayed and sold these items without proper labelling, which raised serious concerns about product quality, safety, and traceability.

Action Initiated, Strict Penalties Warned

Following the findings, authorities initiated action against the vendors involved. Officials made it clear that if laboratory results confirm adulteration, offenders could face penalties ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh. In serious cases, they may also face imprisonment of up to one year under the Food Safety Act. Reacting to the developments, Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy urged officials to take stringent and sustained measures against food adulteration. He stressed that public health must remain the top priority and called for special enforcement drives and continuous monitoring to prevent the sale of unsafe dairy products across the district.

Source: The New Indian Express