Delayed lab results take toll on traders in Indore: Dugdh Sangh

INDORE: Indore Dugdh Vikreta Sangh has raised worries on delay in lab testing reports of suspected adulterated samples hurting business of genuine traders in festive season.
A sudden spike in number of suspected adulterated food samples has created huge backlog of untested samples delaying outcome of results. While results are delayed, food that is tested is sold in the market.If the tests come positive for adulteration, purpose of food department drive to prevent such food items from being sold, gets defeated.
The food department destroys or seizes highly suspicious food items while most of the suspected substandard food items remain with traders after collecting samples. Penalties are imposed on traders once results of laboratory test reports come positive.
Bharat Mathurawala, president, Indore Dugdh Vikreta Sangh said, “Genuine traders are making hefty losses due to some anti-social elements. Stocks of some genuine traders have also been seized despite them taking responsibility of their items owing to rising instances of adulteration in state.”
Festivals are peak demand season for milk and by-products but cases of food adulteration have kept a lid on demand, said dairy traders.
Mathurawala said, “A person involved in wrong activity will never come in open to take the responsibility of stocks but many of us have to take the heat because the department has become extra vigilant and test reports are getting delayed.”
According to food department, around 125 samples have been collected so far in a month of which reports of 34 samples have come. Ideally laboratory test reports come in a fortnight.
Many samples are being sent to government labs in Gujarat and Maharashtra for testing due to heavy backlog of samples in Bhopal. The state has only one government testing lab at Bhopal.
Senior food safety officer Manish Swami said, “We destroy and seize everything that appears adulterated in first glance such as items with foul smell, fungus or if there is a complaint against any stock. Other items that are apprehended to be substandard are left with traders and action is taken against them once the laboratory test report comes.”