Delhi’s food safety department has found signs of pest activity, poor storage practices and inadequate hygiene at several sweet manufacturing units and related establishments across the capital during inspections ahead of the festive season. The department collected samples of sweets and other food products for laboratory testing, with further action to depend on the results.
Inspectors found pest activity in a storage area at a sweet house in Okhla Phase-II, where the water testing report was also unavailable. At a unit in Naraina, employees were reportedly working without adequate pest-control measures, while another establishment had cobwebs on a chimney, insufficient protection against insects and no designated space for workers to keep personal belongings.
The Naraina inspections also found that prepared premix had not been labelled with its manufacturing date. Employees’ clothes were kept in a work area, and water and product testing reports were unavailable at one of the establishments inspected in the area.
In IP Extension, officials noted peeling ceiling plaster, windows without insect-proof mesh and grease accumulation on an exhaust system. Food items kept in a freezer were not properly segregated or labelled, according to the inspection findings. An establishment in Vidya Vihar, in Hastsal Industrial Area, was also found to have unsatisfactory hygiene and cleanliness, while improvements were required at an outlet in Uttam Nagar.
The department reported further shortcomings at establishments in Chandni Chowk and at two manufacturing units in Narela Industrial Complex. In Badli Industrial Area, two establishments were found lacking displayed Food Safety and Standards Authority of India licences, food-handler training and packaging-related documentation.
The inspections covered hygiene, cleanliness, food storage, documentation and compliance with prescribed food safety standards. Samples collected for testing included khoya, rasbhari, barfi, milk cake, boondi dana, kesar rasbhari, aloo bhujia, ghee, palak boondi, boondi laddoos, kaju bites, kaju barfi and khajoor barfi. Officials also collected samples of yellow-coloured rasmalai and fat emulsion used in cake preparation.
Additional samples included pista barfi and khoya from Chandni Chowk, kesar peda from Mathura Road, almonds from Okhla and peda from Patparganj Industrial Area. The inspection findings did not mention specific hygiene lapses at those establishments.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said food businesses must take responsibility for hygiene, safe storage, employee training and proper food-handling practices. The department said further action on the sampled products would be taken after the laboratory test reports are received.
