As the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) cracks down on the food and beverage industry across India, Surya Food & Agro, Dodla Dairy and UEIR Organic Foods have come under the radar for violating food safety standards. Notices were also issued to Narpadham Foods, Sun Riddges Health Carers and M/s Sha Kantilal Jayantilal.
Priyagold, which manufactures the popular biscuits including Butter Bite and Marie Lite, was found to use bran meant for cattle feed as a source of fibre.
Gunny bags containing bran at the factory were marked to indicate that the material was intended for cattle feed. Wheat bran, de-oiled rice bran and maize bran are generally used for livestock feeds.
The FSSAI also flagged substandard plant hygiene, pest control, raw material storage, personnel hygiene, premises maintenance and handling of intermediate formulations.
The Noida-based parent company, Surya Food & Agro’s licence was suspended following the serious non-compliances that were observed during the inspection.
The food regulator has also initiated legal proceedings against Hyderabad-based Dodla Dairy, which produces a variety of dairy products. A regulatory sample of “Full cream milk” that was collected from the manufacturing unit was found to be substandard.
“The sample was unsafe due to the presence of detergent/caustic soda and substandard due to milk fat below the minimum prescribed limit,” FSSAI wrote in a social media post.
Erode-based UEIR Organic Foods Private Limited, a brand that produces multiple natural and organic foods, is facing the heat after a food analysis found pesticide residues exceeding the prescribed limits in a sample of yellow raisins. Residues of Azoxystrobin, Fluopyram, Fluxapyroxad, Imidacloprid, Myclobutanil, Pyraclostrobin, Spirotetramat, Tebuconazole and Thiamethoxam were found in the sample.
According to the regulator, the company’s violations are punishable under Section 59 of the FSS Act, 2006, which deals with unsafe food.
