Report

Food safety teams in Noida uncovered widespread violations during their April inspection drive, with over 60% of food samples failing to meet safety and quality standards. Of the 95 food samples collected from 48 locations, officials found 50 substandard, five unsafe, and two misbranded. “We collected 95 samples during inspections at 245 locations,” said Sarvesh Mishra, Assistant Commissioner, Food-2. “Out of the 73 samples we sent to the lab, 50 did not meet the required standards.”

Unsafe Items Include Dairy, Spices, and Oil

Officials flagged paneer as the most problematic item, with 15 samples failing to meet quality norms. They also identified five substandard milk samples, three of ghee, and six other dairy products. The five unsafe samples included two of chilli powder containing harmful synthetic colouring agents, one paneer sample adulterated with vegetable oil, and one refined oil sample with an excessive amount of palm oil. “These items pose serious health risks and are unfit for human consumption,” a senior food official confirmed.

Legal Action Underway Against Adulterators

The food department found packaging violations in two bakery product samples, which they labelled as misbranded. Officials plan to file legal cases for unsafe food items in the chief judicial magistrate court, while cases involving substandard products will go to the additional district magistrate (administration) for penalty enforcement.

Ongoing Year-Long Campaign Against Adulteration

Between April 2024 and March 2025, the department collected 702 food samples as part of its year-long campaign. Of the 451 results received, 252 failed, and 85 were unsafe, making the failure rate nearly 40%. Mishra explained that teams first collect survey samples from across the district. If any of those fail quality tests, the teams revisit the same locations to collect legal samples for enforcement. “We are taking strong action wherever violations are found, and courts have already imposed fines in several cases. This campaign will continue without compromise,” he said.

Source: The Times of India