Latest news with #FoodDepartment
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Ahmedabad: Ice cream parlour sealed, brand fined after woman complains of ‘lizard tail in cone'
An ice cream parlour was sealed and the manufacturing unit of the brand – Havmor – was penalised after a woman in Ahmedabad complained that parts of a lizard were found in an ice cream cone that she was consuming, on Wednesday. The Food Department under the Health Department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), besides levelling a fine of Rs 50,000 on the manufacturing unit of Havmor ice cream in Ahmedabad's Naroda area, ordered that the entire batch of the product be recalled. AMC's Additional Health Officer Dr Bhavin Joshi told The Indian Express, 'After a complaint was registered by a resident of Maninagar, where parts of lizard were found while eating the Havmor brand ice cream — Happy Cone 80ml — purchased from an ice cream parlour at Mahalakshmi Corner, Dev Kutir Avenue, on Wednesday, the shop was sealed as it is not licensed under Safety and Standards Act 2006.' According to a social media post by the woman, while she was eating the ice cream cone, she felt something in her mouth and realised it was a lizard's tail. The woman felt uneasy and was admitted to the hospital, officials of AMC, which took cognizance of the issue, stated. After further investigation, the particular category of ice cream was found to be manufactured at Havmor Ice Cream Pvt. Ltd, GIDC Naroda, Ahmedabad. Under the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, a sample has been taken and sent for investigation from the manufacturing unit of the company. Further, as a preventive measure, the manufacturing unit has been served a notice to recall the product of the entire batch number in the market in the interest of public health, and a fine of Rs 50,000 has been imposed, Dr Joshi added. In the coming days, intensive checking of units involved in manufacturing cold drinks, ice cream, dairy products, various types of sweets, ghee, edible oil, dry fruits, paneer, butter, cheese and snacks will be undertaken by the AMC, officials said.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- The Hindu
59.55 quintals of rice being Illegally transported seized, vehicle also confiscated
The Kalaburagi district authorities have seized 59.55 quintals of rice meant for distribution among the poor under Anna Bhagya scheme. According to a statement from the Deputy Director of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, the seized rice is valued at approximately ₹2.02 lakh. Acting on a tip-off, officials intercepted a goods vehicle near Jevargi taluk and discovered that rice meant for distribution among Anna Bhagya beneficiaries was being unlawfully transported for resale. In addition to the rice, the vehicle used for transportation, estimated to be worth ₹5 lakh, was confiscated. A case has been registered at the Jevargi Police Station under the Essential Commodities Act 1955 against three people in connection with the incident. Officials emphasised that unauthorised procurement and resale of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice, intended for ration card holders, at higher prices is a serious offense. The seized rice was reportedly illegally stockpiled with the intent of selling it at inflated rates in the open market. The department has warned that strict legal action will be taken against those involved in such offenses. Citizens have been urged not to engage in illegal purchase, sale, storage or transport of rationed commodities. The department also appealed to the public to report any such activities either to the Food Department or to the local police. It promised that the identities of such informants will be kept strictly confidential.
Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
DG Khan bans wheat pills after surge in suicides
Authorities in Dera Ghazi Khan have moved to curb a deadly new trend in suicides: the ingestion of toxic "wheat pills" intended to preserve harvested grain. In a span of one year, the district's Trauma Centre alone treated 215 cases of wheat-pill poisoning, 55 of which proved fatal. Over the past four months, as the wheat harvest got underway, doctors have already admitted 81 more cases, with rural health centres and civil hospitals reporting even higher numbers. Historically, "black stone" poisonings were the method of choice for self-harm and covert killings in the region. After the district administration banned open sales of that toxic mineral, those figures declined significantly. However, the newer practice of storing poisonous insecticide tablets among harvested wheat kernels has surged in popularity, leading to the current public health crisis. During a recent meeting of the District Coordination Committee, members expressed grave concern over the alarming statistics. They urged Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Usman Khalid to collaborate with the Food Department to regulate or outright prohibit the sale of these grain-preservation pills. Sheikh Muhammad Naqeeb, president of the Central Traders Association, along with city officials Jan Alam Khan Laghari, Javed Haideri, and Khurram Ishaq, demanded immediate action to safeguard lives and stem further loss. Responding to these calls, Commissioner Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry invoked Section?144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, enforcing a one-month ban on the possession, purchase, and sale of both wheat pills and black stone across the district. The order, issued at the written request of the Medical Superintendent of the Teaching Hospital and the Deputy Director of Agriculture, took effect immediately. "The ICU and emergency departments have seen a marked increase in young patients presenting with deliberate ingestion of these toxic substances," the hospital report warned. "Without prompt intervention, we risk losing more of our youth to this preventable menace." Under the ban, law enforcement officers have been instructed to confiscate any stockpiles of grain-preservation tablets and black stone found in markets.
Express Tribune
06-04-2025
- Express Tribune
PHC dismisses bail pleas in wheat scandal
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has dismissed the bail pleas of two Food Department officers in the wheat scandal case. According to the court's written order, the accused had been posted at the Azakhel warehouse in Nowshera and, in collusion, had stolen 33,000 sacks of wheat. As per the records, 1,730 metric tons of wheat had gone missing, causing a loss of Rs198.5 million to the national exchequer. After an inquiry, the Anti-Corruption Department had registered a case against the accused. In its judgment, the court remarked that since the accused had been on duty at the time, they could not be absolved of the charges related to the disappearance of the wheat. Both bail applications were, therefore, dismissed. The court further ordered that both accused be kept in jail. Meanwhile, the PHC has accepted the provincial government's appeal against the acquittal of a murder case suspect who was accused of murdering his paternal grandmother and aunt in Mardan. The court found the accused, Tanveer, guilty and awarded him two death penalties and a total fine of Rs1.1 million. The fine will be paid as 'diyat' to the victims' heirs. In case of non-payment of the fine, Tanveer will serve an additional three months in prison. A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmed and Justice Abdul Fayyaz heard the appeal filed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government. Additional Advocate General Sikandar Hayat Shah argued that Tanveer was accused of killing his grandmother and aunt on July 17, 2012 in Mardan. Despite being acquitted by the trial court in 2013, the provincial government had filed an appeal against the decision. The additional advocate general informed the court that Tanveer had confessed to the crime before a local magistrate and that there was solid evidence supporting the charges. He said Tanveer had brutally killed two women and therefore did not deserve any leniency, adding that the trial court had ignored several key legal points when delivering its verdict. After hearing the arguments, the PHC passed a short order declaring the trial court's ruling null and void and pronouncing punishment on the accused.
Express Tribune
05-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Millers, food dept lock horns over 'rotten' wheat
Flour millers and the Rawalpindi Food department have locked horns over non-purchase of 32,000 sacks of rotten, foul-smelling wheat stored at the Flour Mills in the twin cities, escalating the dispute and stocking fear about a potential flour crisis in the twin cities. Flour Mills have alleged that officials at the Storage Centre 3 have refused to allocate new wheat quotas to them until the purchase of the disputed wheat is completed. The Food Department has proposed a solution, offering to mix 85% new wheat with 15% of the disputed wheat, but warned that no quota will be provided otherwise. In response, flour mill owners have become vocal in protest and have filed inquiries with the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) regarding the laboratory tests of the disputed wheat. The management of flour mills pointed out that last year complaints about the wheat being contaminated with dirt and water were raised by the mills regarding the wheat in the government's warehouses in Rawalpindi. In response, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (Punjab) officially submitted a written complaint to the Secretary of the Punjab Food Department. The Punjab Food Director formed an inquiry team, which visited Rawalpindi and confirmed the allegations. However, even after a year, no responsible parties were identified, and the 164,000 sacks of contaminated wheat were forcefully sold to the flour mills. According to the flour mills management, if the officials at Storage Centre 3 had not contaminated the wheat, it would have been sold last year, preventing a loss of Rs700 million to the Punjab government, as the official selling price was Rs4,500 per sack higher than the current year's price. Due to the poor quality, flour mills preferred to purchase domestic wheat at Rs5,000 per maund and imported wheat at Rs4,700 per maund instead. Despite the Rawalpindi flour mill depositing over Rs35m in the government treasury, the officials at PR Centre 3 have refused to provide wheat to the flour mills. The mills have been told either to take the contaminated, rotten, and foul-smelling wheat or wait for two more months. Flour mill owners argue that they have not engaged in business with any private company or individual, but rather, according to the law, have deposited the necessary funds in the government treasury for the wheat, and according to the law, the wheat should have been handed over to them on the same day the payment was made. The Deputy Director of Food in the Rawalpindi Division, Ghulam Abbas, says the contaminated wheat isn't necessarily spoiled and can be cleaned. He assured that the Food Department is ready to sift the 32,000 sacks of disputed wheat and provide it to the flour mills. Both new and old wheat should be accepted by the mills, and instead of filing applications, the flour mill owners should come to them directly, Abbas said, adding merely giving statements won't resolve the issue.
