- Strict measures for food safety in Bihar; action taken against hundreds of establishments in November – Ghee worth approximately Rs 18 lakh seized in Patna; food products worth over Rs 29 lakh destroyed in Jehanabad
Patna: Bihar Health Minister Nishant stated on Friday that it is the department’s commitment to ensure that the residents of the state have access to clean and high-quality food products from the market. To guarantee this, teams from the Food Safety Department are taking continuous action. This includes conducting raids on food establishments, collecting samples, seizing and destroying substandard food items, and taking punitive action against establishments that violate regulations.
The Health Minister informed that, so far in the month of November, action has been taken against hundreds of food establishments across the state. During this period, ghee worth approximately Rs 18 lakh was seized in Patna City. At another establishment in Patna, ghee worth Rs 5 lakh and flour worth Rs 1.74 lakh were seized. Furthermore, dates valued at Rs 6.35 lakh and other food items worth Rs 13.29 lakh were seized from a cold storage facility in Patna and subsequently destroyed.
Nishant stated that thousands of bottles of packaged drinking water were seized from three establishments in Patna and destroyed. The food licenses of these establishments have also been suspended. In Jehanabad, action taken against four establishments resulted in the destruction of food products worth over Rs 29 lakh. Additionally, items valued at approximately Rs 2.30 lakh were seized, and eight samples were collected for testing.
The Health Minister further noted that during inspections at three establishments in Motihari, various food items—including approximately 27 quintals of ‘milk cake’ and ‘doda’ sweets—were seized and destroyed. He clarified that this food safety campaign will not be limited to the festive season alone but will continue on a regular basis. He stated that efforts are underway to ensure the availability of necessary human resources and equipment within the department to make the campaign effective. Additionally, steps are being taken to establish four new food testing centers in the state.
The Health Minister appealed to all food business operators in the state not to compromise on the quality and purity of food products. A healthy Bihar is the foundation of a developed Bihar. Adulterating food products or tampering with their quality is not only illegal but also an unethical and antisocial act.
He remarked that attempting to make a small profit by putting someone’s health at risk is both inhumane and morally wrong. All food business operators should refrain from such actions and support the department in its mission to build a healthy Bihar.
