Food Safety Dept issues advisory against adulteration, unauthorised colours
Ferozepur, October 16, 2026: The Food Safety Department, has issued a special advisory to traders, wholesalers, manufacturers, sweet-shop owners, bakery operators, dhaba owners, street vendors and other food business operators, warning them against adulteration, use of unauthorised colours and sale of substandard food items.
The department has urged food businesses to strictly comply with food safety regulations and refrain from using harmful or unauthorised substances, including bleaching agents, caustic soda, ammonia and other chemicals. Only permitted food colours should be used within prescribed limits.
The advisory also cautions traders against misleading consumers by changing the colour or appearance of cheaper products and selling them as expensive items, such as coloured petha being sold as cherries or coloured peanuts being passed off as pistachios. Sweetmeats should not be sold as saffron sweets merely by adding red or other colours.
The department has specifically asked wholesalers, distributors and suppliers not to stock or supply adulterated, counterfeit or substandard food products. Their records, including purchase bills, supplier details, batch numbers, labels and sources of supply, should be properly maintained. Suppliers found knowingly providing adulterants or unauthorised substances to those involved in adulteration may also face action under the applicable law.
Food businesses have also been directed to maintain proper hygiene and storage conditions, check expiry dates and obtain the required Food Safety licence or registration.
Abhinav Khosla, Food Safety Officer said a special inspection drive would be conducted across Ferozepur district in the coming days, during which shops, warehouses and manufacturing units may be inspected and samples collected. It appealed to all food business operators to cooperate with officials and give top priority to consumer health and food safety.