Ahead of Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami, Food Safety Department teams conducted raids at restaurants, sweet shops and online food businesses across Haridwar, Jwalapur, Piran Kaliyar and Roorkee on Saturday.
During the inspection, a McDonald’s outlet at Pentagon Mall was found using foul-smelling, spoiled and chopped onions that were considered unfit for human consumption in burgers and other food items. Food safety officials immediately stopped the production and sale of meat products and ice cream desserts at the outlet. The department also recommended suspension of the restaurant’s food licence.
Senior Food Safety Officer Dilip Jain inspected the McDonald’s outlet as part of a campaign directed by Food Safety Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey and District Magistrate Mayur Dixit. During the inspection, the quality of the chopped onions used in burgers and other preparations was found to be extremely poor. The onions had a foul smell and were deemed unsafe for consumption.
Food Labels Tampered With, Licence Irregularities Found
Officials also found that the manufacturing and expiry dates printed on the labels of tortilla wraps used at the outlet had been erased. The inspection further revealed that although the nominee of the food business had been changed, the new nominee’s endorsement had not been updated on the food licence.
The licence also did not include the food categories of meat and meat products, ice cream and desserts.
Taking the irregularities seriously, officials immediately prohibited the manufacture and sale of meat products and ice cream desserts at the outlet. Two samples of coated crisps and butterscotch chocolate dip used in the ice cream desserts were also collected and sent for testing.
Irregularities Found At Online Food Business
Senior Food Safety Officer Kailash Tamta inspected establishments in the Aryanagar and Jwalapur areas. During an inspection of an Instacart establishment associated with Pilpkart’s online shopping platform in Aryanagar, officials found that employee medical records, water testing reports, pest control records and stock records were not available for inspection.
The handling and storage of food products were also found to be below the required standards. The establishment was issued a notice.
A ghee manufacturing company in Patiala, Punjab, was also served a notice over allegedly misleading claims. Samples of ghee, roasted chickpeas and lentils were collected from the premises for laboratory testing.
Four Food Samples Collected At Urs Fair
In view of the Urs fair, Senior Food Safety Officer Kapil Dev inspected food establishments in the Piran Kaliyar area. Four samples, cardamom seeds, soan halwa, soybean refined oil and turmeric powder, were collected and sent for laboratory testing.
Sweet Shops In Roorkee Also Inspected
Senior Food Safety Officer Yogendra Pandey inspected sweet shops and restaurants across Roorkee city. Samples of gram flour laddus, chocolate barfi and chocolate toffees were collected during the inspection.
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During the crackdown, several shops in the old tehsil and main market areas reportedly began closing down.
12 Food Samples Sent For Testing
Across the entire campaign, Food Safety Department teams collected 12 food samples from different establishments and sent them for laboratory testing.
The inspections and enforcement action triggered concern among food traders across the areas.