india

Updated: Aug 04, 2019 15:25 IST

Adulterated food materials like coriander powder made of wooden dust, red chilli powder made of red stone powder, gram flour made of substandard corn flour and jaggery made of chemical Sodium Sulfoxylate were being manufactured in different factories in several cities of Madhya Pradesh. These were sealed on Saturday by the food and drugs department, said an official.

Chief minister Kamal Nath said, “The law will be changed in MP to give a tough punishment to those who are involved in adulteration of food products.”

In Gwalior, a locked factory was raided by food department and found branded companies packets in which adulterated spices were being packed.

Gwalior sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Anil Banvariya said chemical, wooden dust and red colour stone powder were found in a large quantity.

“These harmful chemicals and materials were being mixed in coriander, chilli and turmeric powder. The team also recovered branded companies packaging materials. The factory is owned by one Brijesh Gupta, who is on the run after the raid,” said Banvariya.

Another factory of adulterated gram flour was sealed in Bhopal where substandard corn flour was being mixed with gram flour.

In Chhindwara, food and drugs department seized 80 tonnes of jaggery and 200 kg of Sodium Sulfoxylate.

Food and drugs department officer Mahendra Partey said, “As many as 80 labourers were making jaggery with help of chemicals for the past 10 days. Thus, such jaggery made was more like a poison that a food product.”

After conducting raids against factories of synthetic milk in Chambal, food and drugs department has started raiding different factories of food products.

A reward of Rs 11,000 was also announced by health department for giving information regarding adulteration.