Jamshedpur, Oct 13: The district health department has roped in a mobile van called �Food Safety of Wheels� to examine food quality and prevent adulteration. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has provided one mobile van to the state to test the food standard.
The mobile food testing lab is equipped to conduct on-the-spot tests to check food quality in 15 minutes. The vehicle is equipped with a milk analyser, hot air oven, hot plate, mixer grinder, digital weighing scale, digital multi parameter hand-held meter.
The team on Tuesday seized samples of sweets manufactured using milk products like khoa at popular different shops in Sakchi and Bistupur.
�We have been receiving complaints of food adulteration from several shops and have collected samples which would be sent to food testing,� said an official of the health department.
He added that samples were being collected mainly to check adulteration and use of non-permitted colours. �Samples will be sent to the laboratory and based on its report action will be taken,� they added.
Use of harmful synthetic colours, including dyes is not permitted. But small manufacturers use the banned items just to give more colour to the sweets so as to make it attractive, officials said.
Most of the sweets manufactured in the district were from the unorganised sector � houses or group of people joining together to make a fast buck.
Actions against the sweet manufacturer, after lab report would be initiated as per Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (revised in 2012) and offenders found indulging in sale of adulterated products found unsafe for health would be liable for hefty fine of anything between Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh.
Prior to this, the health department in the district has been only collecting samples of sweets and other edible items. �We want to maintain vigil on sweet sellers, as such an on the spot test is being conducted for the first time. During testing if the samples report is positive we will conduct raids at shops,� said an official.