Punjab vigilance teams raid dairies for food adulteration crackdown

In a determined effort to tackle food adulteration, Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) teams, along with the Food Safety Department, carried out surprise inspections at multiple dairies in Fatehgarh Sahib and Rupnagar on Monday.

A state VB spokesperson stated that the joint operation led to the collection of various samples of milk, curd, and paneer for laboratory testing, reinforcing the government’s commitment to curbing adulterated food products.

The raids, supervised by Food Safety Officer Satwinder Singh and VB Inspector Shakunt Choudhary, included an inspection at Imaan Dairy near Jyoti Saroop Chowk, Fatehgarh Sahib, where samples of milk, curd, and paneer were taken. Milk samples were also collected from Cheema Dairy, located opposite Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, for further analysis.

Issuing a warning, the VB stated, "The Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards food adulteration. A sustained campaign to root out this menace would continue in the coming days. He emphasized that legal action would be swift and severe if any adulteration is confirmed through laboratory testing.”

Inspections conducted in Rupnagar

Simultaneously, a separate inspection was carried out in Rupnagar under the supervision of SSP/VB Rupnagar Range Arun Saini, DSP/VB Unit Rupnagar Gurcharan Singh, and Assistant Commissioner Manjinder Singh from the Health and Food Safety Department.

The teams, including Food Safety Officer Simranjit Singh (Rupnagar-1) and Dinesh Jot Singh, collected samples of soya chaap, spring rolls, momos, bakery products, bread, and ghee from unlicensed vendors. The samples were sent for quality testing, while several vendors operating without licenses or failing to maintain hygiene standards were issued notices and fined.

During the inspections, dairy owners, sweet shop operators, and food joint owners were cautioned about the consequences of adulteration and informed about the state’s campaign to ensure food safety. The VB teams, working alongside the Health and Food Safety Administration, have been conducting similar operations across Punjab, focusing on high-risk areas for adulteration.

"Citizens were also encouraged to report suspected cases of food adulteration through the VB’s dedicated helpline, with assurances of confidentiality and prompt action," the spokesperson added.