Lucknow: Food safety officials inspected 496 establishments and collected and sent to labs for analysis 801 food samples, as part of a statewide enforcement drive targeting manufacturers and distributors of sauces, jams, jellies, mayonnaise, chutneys and other processed food products.According to Food Safety and Drug Administration, inspections were conducted on Jun 15 and 16 and Jul 6 and 7 at manufacturing units, warehouses, stockists and wholesale establishments in UP and 338.61 quintals of food products, valued at around Rs 27.77 lakh, were seized. Laboratory test results are awaited.The department also claimed to have destroyed 259.33 quintals food items worth about Rs 17.56 lakh after they were found unfit for human consumption or stored under unhygienic conditions.FIRs were registered in Shahjahanpur and Unnao. In Shahjahanpur, officials alleged spoiled fennel seeds were coloured with synthetic dye, while in Unnao FIR was lodged over alleged manufacture of spurious sauce using synthetic colours.FSDA also reported action against several food processing units in Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Hathras and Muzaffarnagar, where expired or spurious food products were seized or destroyed, while some units were sealed or shut for violations. FSDA said the drive excluded small retailers and food businesses producing less than 50 kg per day.
