Bathinda, November 4 The district Health Department had collected 75 samples of food items and sweets before the festive season, out of which eight failed the purity test. Officials of the Health Department said samples were collected to prevent adulteration in food items, keeping in view the festive season. Newly appointed District Health Officer, Dr Ramesh Maheshwari said: “The effort was primarily aimed at making sure that people in the district do not eat adulterated sweets and fall sick. As many as 75 samples of sweets, milk, milk products and other food items were collected in the past one month. Out of these, eight samples have failed the purity test.” Dr Maheshwari said: “It is important to prevent adulteration in food products and it becomes all the more important during the festive season, when the sale of sweets and other food products increases and sensing a opportunity to earn easy money, confectioners and bakers indulge in adulteration. The sampling of food products will continue n future as well.” “We are going to toughen our stance against adulteration in food and beverages. Those violating norms will not be spared. While we will keep working at our own level to discourage adulteration, people must come up with complaints so that necessary punitive actions can be initiated against violators of food safety norms. The names of complainants will remain confidential. Those indulging in adulteration by compromising on people’s health will be taken to task in the strictest possible manner. The sampling of liquor will be done in collaboration with the Excise Department,” added Dr Maheshwari. —TNS

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