Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 10: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) today produced challan against Kanwal spices in the Court of Municipal Magistrate, Srinagar for selling unsafe spices.
The challan was produced after Saunf Powder of the Kanwal Agro Food Industries, Anantnag was found unsafe for human consumption by the Kolkata based Central Food Laboratory last year.
A statement issued by the Public Health Wing of SMC said here that action under various sections of the Food Safety Act 2006 has been sought against the concerned which include Section 26, 52 and 59 of the Act. “Under Section 59(iii) of the Act, the food product has been declared as one of those foods which could have caused grievous injury on consumption and invites penalty of Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment of 10 years”, the statement added.
The challan was produced against Managing Director and Proprietor of Kanwal Agro Food Industries, Anantnag, Farooq Amin son of Mohammad Amin Chadnu of Nai Basti Anantnag before the Municipal Magistrate, Srinagar.
The SMC also produced challan against the proprietor of M/s Swift Departmental Store, Nowshera Srinagar, Shabir Ahmad Sofi son of Haji Ghulam Mohammad Sofi of Nowshera Srinagar from whose shop sample of the Saunf Powder was taken.
The SMC Food Safety Officer took sample of the Saunf Powder from M/s Swift Departmental Store, Nowshera Srinagar, on September 30 last year. The sample was sent to Central Food Laboratory Kolkata that declared the Sounf Powder as unsafe and misbranded, containing added colouring matter – Carmoisine and Tartrazine.
The SMC after receiving the report from the CFL sought permission from the Commissioner Food Safety Jammu and Kashmir for prosecution of owner of Kanwal. The Food Safety Commissioner accorded sanction for the prosecution of owner of Kanwal last month.
The Director SKIMS, Srinagar in his report has said that the food Carmoisine and Tartrazine are carcinogenic and can damage body organs. Jammu and Kashmir High Court had already taken serious note of the food adulteration and has imposed a fine of Rs 60 crore to three companies whose food products were found adulterated.
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