PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday announced that Kuttu atta (buckwheat flour) will henceforth be available in the market in sealed packets only with proper labeling of expiry date under strict quality control rules.
After over 300 people fell ill in Dehradun, the state government issued new guidelines regarding the sale of kuttu atta which is prominently used in fasting during Navratri.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has decided to implement strict rules to ensure the quality of buckwheat flour and prevent sudden illness caused by adulterated kuttu atta.
On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, a new guideline has been issued regarding the sale of buckwheat flour in the state, said Health Secretary and Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration Department Dr R Rajesh Kumar.
As per the new instructions issued by the department, buckwheat flour will be sold only in sealed packets. Apart from this, it has been made mandatory to follow the labeling rules as per the Food Safety Act 2006 on the packet.
Kumar said as per the food safety standards, it will be necessary to clearly mention the date of grinding of buckwheat flour, date of packaging and expiry date on the packet. Apart from this, it has been made mandatory to enter the food license number of the seller on every packet.
Buckwheat flour and seeds henceforth cannot be sold without a valid food license. All the traders will have to keep a written record of purchase and sale. Strict action will be taken against selling buckwheat flour without sealed packages.
Dr Kumar said the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has directed the officials of all the districts to ensure that the new rules are strictly followed and regular checks and inspections are done. If any seller is found violating these rules, legal action will be taken. He said that while purchasing buckwheat flour during Navratri, consumers should buy kuttu atta in sealed packets and carefully check the manufacturing and expiry date, license number and other details mentioned on the packet.
Dr Kumar said that many samples of buckwheat flour have been found unsafe in the investigation. Under the campaign, intensive inspection and sample collection is being done in various districts of the state. In which samples of buckwheat flour taken from many establishments were found unsafe. These samples were tested in the State Food and Drug Testing Laboratory located in Rudrapur. The sample collected from M/s Laxmi Trading Company, Vikasnagar in Dehradun district was found unsafe. It was found to be toxic due to insects and fungus. Samples collected from Blink Commerce Private Limited Rishikesh, Nataraj Agency, Peeth Bazaar, Jwalapur in Haridwar district and Ashish Provision Store, Khedi Mubarakpur, Laksar were also found unsafe.