Ludhiana: Health dept slaps ₹1L fine on ice cream unit over lack of hygiene
The district health department's food safety team on Wednesday slapped a ₹1-lakh fine on an ice cream manufacturing unit in the Industrial Area, Hambran, over allegedly unhygienic conditions found during a surprise check, officials said.
The fine was issued for violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The officials said. They said the inspection was conducted around 2 pm. The officials, however, refused to disclose the name of the unit.
The officials said they collected two samples of ice cream, vanilla and mixed-fruit flavours, and sent them to State Food Laboratory, Kharar, for testing. Legal proceedings have been initiated, they added.
According to the officials, 'alarming levels' of uncleanliness and unhygienic food preparation practices were uncovered during the inspection.
District health officer (DHO) Dr Amarjit Kaur reaffirmed the department's commitment to food safety. 'No compromise will be tolerated when it comes to public health. Food establishments operating in unhygienic conditions break the law and endanger the lives of consumers. Our teams are conducting checks and offenders will be dealt with firmly,' she said.
The health department urged all food business operators to strictly adhere to hygiene protocols.
Health department officials said legal proceedings, if needed, will be initiated after they get a report of the collected samples from the state food laboratory.
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