Patna: Bihar’s Food Safety Department has intensified inspections across the state on the initiative of Health Minister Nishant Kumar to ensure the availability of safe, hygienic and quality food products.
So far, 531 food establishments have been inspected under a special statewide campaign.
The department has suspended the licences of two establishments and initiated prosecution proceedings against 15 others for violations of food safety standards.
The inspections have led to action against spoiled paneer, foul-smelling sweets, expired milk and other food products, as well as used and burnt cooking oil.
Patna recorded the highest number of inspections, with 87 establishments examined.
Nishant Kumar has directed officials to ensure strict compliance with food safety regulations, making it clear that public health cannot be compromised.
Food business operators must maintain hygiene, ensure proper storage, meet quality standards and hold valid licences. Violations will invite legal action.
In Patna, inspections covered hotels, restaurants, sweet shops, dairies, fast-food outlets, packaged drinking water units and online food retailers.
In Sampatchak, Gaurichak and nearby areas, water was seized from packaged drinking water units operating without valid licences.
Authorities also detected unauthorised packaging and the use of brand labels without proper authorisation.
Operations at the affected units were stopped, and samples were sent for laboratory testing.
At Santosh Sweets in Vijay Nagar, officials seized 3,344 kg of milk cake and 112 kg of peda, valued at approximately Rs 5.24 lakh.
Action was also taken against 170 kg of foul-smelling sweets and paneer at Govardhan Sweets.
Across Patna district, enforcement measures involved around 15,340 litres of packaged drinking water, 155 kg of gulab jamun, 96 kg of rasgulla and other food products.
Inspections at hotels, including Gargi Grand, Pataliputra Exotica, The Panase and Hotel Maurya, revealed deficiencies in kitchen hygiene, food storage, staff health certificates and water quality testing.
In some establishments, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items were stored together.
The establishments were given 14 days to rectify the shortcomings.
During inspections on October 21, officials found serious violations at outlets of Barbeque Nation, KFC and Pizza Hut.
At Barbeque Nation on Buddha Marg, 30 kg of foul-smelling paneer and 4 kg of rice were seized and destroyed, while the use of 15 kg of pre-packaged chicken was prohibited.
At its Fraser Road outlet, insects were found in bread packets, and 20 litres of used cooking oil were destroyed.
At KFC on Boring Canal Road, the use of 835 plastic cups intended for industrial use was prohibited.
On October 22, officials seized and destroyed 40 litres of expired Amul milk at a Blinkit store.
At a 9-to-9 store in SK Nagar, they seized and destroyed 120 litres of expired ghee, 49 kg each of whole wheat flour and refined flour, and 6 kg of spices.
Beyond Patna, inspections over the past three months covered 41 establishments in Rohtas, 40 in Saran, 37 in Gopalganj, 27 in Siwan, 26 in Gaya, 24 in Vaishali and 20 in Muzaffarpur. The report recorded no inspections in Sheikhpura and Sheohar.
In Vaishali, 22,992 litres of packaged drinking water were seized from units operating without valid licences.
In Bidupur, 328 kg of adulterated paneer worth Rs 85,280 was destroyed.
Officials also acted against 105 kg of paneer, gulab jamun and doda sweets in Muzaffarpur, while 72 kg of spoiled paneer was destroyed in West Champaran.
Similar enforcement actions were reported in Samastipur, Saharsa, Siwan, Gopalganj, Munger, Purnea, Madhepura, Rohtas and Kaimur.
In Hajipur, a hotel’s licence was suspended and its operations halted after officials found its kitchen unhygienic.
The department said violations could attract imprisonment of up to three months and a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh under the applicable provisions.
To strengthen enforcement, qualified Health Department officials have been appointed as Food Safety Officers after 14 days of foundational training and 26 days of on-the-job training.
Officials have been directed to constitute inspection teams and upload action reports to the FoSCoS portal.
The department said inspections would continue, with particular focus on milk and dairy products, sweets, edible oils, spices, hotels, restaurants and online food businesses.
–IANS–
