SRINAGAR, Aug 30: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, today prohibited the sale, storage, distribution and display of 10 identified ghee batches across the Union Territory after laboratory tests found them sub-standard, unsafe or misbranded.
An FDA spokesperson said the action was taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, after samples were tested by the National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad, and the Food Testing Laboratory, Kashmir.
The affected products are Dairy Mohan Desi Ghee (Batch 05), Apna Dairy Milk Desi Ghee (DM-06), Milk Bite Cow Ghee (137), Nandni Desi Ghee (ND-28), Shahi Taj Desi Ghee (134), Daawat Fresh (VT09), Nand Krishna Cow Ghee (PC-05-26), Vandu Cow Ghee (D143), Dairy Milk Desi Ghee (OM12) and Mohan Dairy Ghee (06).
The samples were collected from different areas, including Anantnag, Shangus, Larnoo, Bijbehara, Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Tral and Pampore, the spokesperson said.”Laboratory tests found beta-sitosterol or foreign vegetable fat, positive Baudouin test results, abnormal fatty-acid profiles and deviations from prescribed standards,” the spokesperson said.
The FDA has directed food business operators, wholesalers, distributors and retailers to immediately stop the sale and distribution of the affected batches and ensure they are removed from circulation. “The concerned food business operators have also been directed to declare their stock of the affected batches to the concerned Designated Officer within 48 hours,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said enforcement authorities had been asked to maintain strict vigil and prevent the prohibited products from being circulated further.
Under food safety standards, ghee must be made exclusively from milk or milk products, while ghee containing matter not derived exclusively from milk fat is not permitted for sale, the spokesperson said.
