Odisha destroys 3.6 tonnes of adulterated food in three-day statewide drive

Odisha food safety enforcement teams seized and destroyed 3,605 kg of stale and adulterated sweets and food products across all 30 districts and six major urban local bodies during a three-day drive from August 25 to 27 ahead of Raksha Bandhan, officials said Friday. The operation, covering Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Cuttack, Puri, Rourkela and Sambalpur, also yielded 475 suspected food samples for chemical analysis and penalties totalling Rs 2.85 lakh, while 189 establishments received notices for violating food safety and hygiene standards.

What did the drive cover and what were the results? Joint raid teams conducted inspections across the state, collecting 475 suspected adulteration samples for laboratory testing. Berhampur recorded the highest sample collection at 64, followed by Bhubaneswar with 61 and Cuttack with 28. At the district level, Ganjam reported 40 samples, Koraput 39 and Balangir 22. The crackdown was timed ahead of Raksha Bandhan when demand for sweets and dairy products typically surges.

Which areas recorded the highest seizures? Among urban local bodies, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction recorded the highest seizure at 787 kg, followed by Cuttack Municipal Corporation at 570 kg, Rourkela Municipal Corporation at 123 kg, Berhampur Municipal Corporation at 114 kg, Puri Municipal Corporation at 78 kg and Sambalpur Municipal Corporation at 42 kg. District-wise, Puri recorded 120 kg of seizures, Balasore 98 kg, Dhenkanal and Kendrapara 95 kg each, Ganjam 88 kg, Jajpur 77 kg, Sundargarh 70 kg, Balangir 66 kg, Khurda 62 kg, Angul 60 kg and Keonjhar 55 kg.

What enforcement actions were taken? Penalties were highest in BMC jurisdiction at Rs 68,500, followed by Rs 44,000 in Kendrapara, Rs 34,000 in Berhampur, Rs 31,500 in Bhadrak and Rs 28,000 in Dhenkanal. State food safety commissioner Poma Tudu directed all food safety teams to continue enforcement activities and maintain strict vigil on offenders, while asking officials to ensure proper legal action. The FSSAI designated officer Pratikshya Das Mahapatra said legal action will follow after chemical analysis reports are received and replies obtained from the 189 establishments served notices.

What happens next? Raids continued on Friday in parts of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore and Koraput targeting adulterated paneer and other food products. Officials said an outlet of a global restaurant chain was raided in Cuttack, while two paneer manufacturing units were sealed for unsafe practices. A total of 61 food safety teams have been formed across the state for regular inspections in coordination with the Home, and Housing and Urban Development departments and urban local bodies.