53k ltr spurious mustard oil seized from factory
Jaipur: Health department food safety officers seized 53,000 liters of mustard oil from Pawan Oil Brand in Jhotwara Industrial Area, suspecting adulteration with rice bran oil. Samples have been sent for lab analysis. Pankaj Ojha, additional commissioner of food safety, noted past failures of this brand in quality tests. From Jan 1 to May 31, 2024, 1,377 samples failed state food quality tests, leading to significant seizures, including 1.6 lakh liters of ghee and oil, and 53,724 kg of spices.
Jaipur: A team of food safety officers from the health department seized a large quantity of mustard oil, amounting to 53,000 litre, from the Pawan Oil Brand factory in Jhotwara Industrial Area on Tuesday. The seizure was prompted by suspicions of adulteration.Pankaj Ojha, additional commissioner of food safety, said there are concerns that the confiscated mustard oil might have been mixed with rice bran oil, a cheaper substitute.
“To verify this, samples of the oil have been collected and sent to the departmental laboratory for analysis.
“The department had previously carried out its own investigation by collecting samples of mustard oil from several well-known companies. The sample from this specific brand had failed to meet the required standards. Consequently, further samples were collected on Tuesday and sent to the departmental laboratory for additional testing. In recent months, food safety officers throughout the state have collected samples of various edible items, including ghee, edible oil, spices, and milk products. The failure of these samples in quality tests has raised concerns among consumers.
According to the health department report, 1,377 samples have failed food quality tests from Jan 1, 2024 to May 31, 2024 in the state.
The health department report stated that between Feb 15 and May 31, the department seized significant quantities of food items, including 1.6 lakh litre of ghee and oil, 1,057 litre of milk, 300 kgs of milk products, 263 kgs of sweets, and 53,724 kg of spices. TNN