200 KG MOULD-INFESTED KHOYA DESTROYED BY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TEAM

Naresh Kumar/Barnala

A health department team on Monday recovered and destroyed around 200 kg of khoya stored in a cold storage allegedly by the owner of a sweet shop on Bajakhana Road, officials said. The khoya was found to be infested with fungus, following which the department initiated action against those responsible.

District Food Safety Officer Charanjit Singh said that acting on a tip-off, he and his team conducted an inspection of a cold storage facility rented by the owner of a sweet shop on Bajakhana Road.

“About 200 kg of khoya packed in boxes was recovered from the cold storage. Fungus was found on almost every box,” Singh said. He said samples of the khoya had been collected and sent to a laboratory in Kharar for testing, while the remaining stock was destroyed.

“Further action will be taken after the laboratory report is received,” the officer said.

He added that with Diwali and the festive season approaching, the department would keep a close watch on shops and storage facilities dealing in sweets, fruits, dairy products and other food items.

Social media video draws attention

The development came a day after a promotional video by the sweet shop’s promoter went viral on social media. In the video, the promoter claimed that the shop had launched a new business venture and was offering various products at heavily discounted prices to attract customers.

The promoter claimed that gulab jamun and rasgulla were being offered at Rs 90 per kg, while gajar pak, dhoda and barfi were available at Rs 200 per kg. Curd was claimed to be available at Rs 50 per kg and paneer at Rs 250 per kg.
The promoter also claimed that the shop had departmental documents certifying the quality of its products. The health department’s inspection, however, subsequently found fungus on the khoya stored at the cold storage, officials said.