Nagpur: A joint raid of the food and drug administration (FDA) and other departments was conducted at the khowa shops near the Cotton Market as a part of pre-Diwali surveillance.The raid at the khowa shops, conducted under the supervision of the district-level anti-milk adulteration committee, also had the representatives of the legal metrology department.At the khowa market, the joint team seized and destroyed around 11kg of stale khowa used as raw material for preparing sweets. The FDA team, which had the government analysts from laboratory with them, also collected samples of khowa for testing. The owner would be fined if the samples are found sub-standard. For unsafe samples, the FDA would launch a prosecution before the court, said an official.The FDA team of food safety officers, Raviraj Dabharde and Akhilesh Raut, under the supervision of assistant commissioner Prashant Deshmukh and joint commissioner Krishna Jaipurkar, started special drive against khowa which comes to city mainly from Gondia. Substantial quantity of khowa is also brought to city from Ahmedabad by train on a regular basis, said sources.Khowa, whose demand skyrockets during Diwali, must be stored in a cold and hygienic condition apart from handling it cleanly. Any impurity in khowa can render the final sweet product unsafe for consumption and lead to health complications, said an FDA source. Around five litres of milk is required for preparing 250 grams of khowa. To save cost, the traders add starch. We had tested the stock to detect starch during the surprise check but none was found to be adulterated, said an FDA official.We also published the following articles recentlyFDA issues warning about contaminated over-the-counter eye dropsThe FDA has issued a warning about certain over-the-counter eye drop products that may lead to eye infections and vision loss. The products, marketed under various brands, were found to have bacterial contamination and unsanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility. The FDA has recommended a recall of all affected products and advised consumers to refrain from purchasing them. CVS, Rite Aid, and Target have already removed the products from their shelves. The FDA has not received any reports of adverse events yet, but consumers are urged to discard the products and report any issues.California leads the way as FDA moves to outlaw brominated vegetable oil in sports drinksThe FDA has proposed a ban on the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food and beverages due to mounting evidence linking it to health risks. BVO is used to prevent ingredient separation in drinks like Gatorade and Mountain Dew. While some industry giants have already phased out the ingredient, it is still present in smaller brands. The EU and Japan have already banned BVO. The FDAs decision is based on recent research showing that BVO is toxic to the thyroid and may harm the liver, heart, and brain. The FDA is inviting public comments on the proposed ban.Scientists from China and Sri Lanka conduct joint marine scientific research onboard Chinese vesselScientists from China and Sri Lanka are conducting joint marine scientific activities on a Chinese research vessel in Colombo. Sri Lanka initially delayed granting permission for the vessels arrival due to concerns raised by India. However, clearance was eventually granted, and the vessel is currently engaged in research activities off the western waters of Sri Lanka. The research will focus on studying the temperature of seawater, sea wave conditions, their impact on fish, and climate change. This collaboration comes amidst concerns voiced by India and the US over Chinese research vessels visiting Sri Lanka.

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