The Jammu and Kashmir Food and Drugs Administration has prohibited the sale, storage, distribution and display of 10 identified batches of ghee after laboratory testing found the products to be sub-standard, unsafe or misbranded.
The action was taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, following testing of samples at the National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad and the Food Testing Laboratory in Kashmir. The samples had been collected from several areas, including Anantnag, Shangus, Larnoo, Bijbehara, Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Tral and Pampore.
Ten ghee batches barred from sale
The affected products include Dairy Mohan Desi Ghee, Batch 05; Apna Dairy Milk Desi Ghee, DM-06; Milk Bite Cow Ghee, Batch 137; Nandni Desi Ghee, ND-28; Shahi Taj Desi Ghee, Batch 134; Daawat Fresh, VT09; Nand Krishna Cow Ghee, PC-05-26; Vandu Cow Ghee, D143; Dairy Milk Desi Ghee, OM12; and Mohan Dairy Ghee, Batch 06.
Laboratory examinations detected issues including beta-sitosterol or foreign vegetable fat, positive Baudouin test results, abnormal fatty-acid profiles and deviations from prescribed standards, according to the FDA spokesperson. The findings led the regulator to stop further circulation of the identified batches across the Union Territory.
Algoritha Security Launches ‘Make in India’ Cyber Lab for Educational Institutions
Sellers told to withdraw affected stock
The FDA has directed food business operators, wholesalers, distributors and retailers to immediately stop selling or distributing the affected batches and remove them from circulation. Concerned food business operators have also been instructed to declare the stock of the affected batches to the designated officer within 48 hours.
Enforcement authorities have been asked to maintain strict vigilance to ensure that the prohibited products do not return to the market.
FDA cites standards for pure ghee
The regulator said food safety standards require ghee to be made exclusively from milk or milk products. Ghee containing material that is not derived exclusively from milk fat is not permitted for sale under the applicable food safety standards.
The FDA said the restrictions were imposed after laboratory results indicated that the identified batches failed to meet the prescribed requirements.
