After ‘rotten’ meat scandal, authorities now ban biscuit, packaged water brand in Kashmir
While the packaged water was found to contain E. Coli and Coliform bacteria, the biscuit had sulphite levels above permissible limits, J-K authorities said.
Kashmir’s Food Safety Department has banned Ajwa packaged water and Butter Delite biscuits after tests found bacterial and chemical contamination. (Photo via Pexels)
Weeks after Kashmir was hit by concerns about “rotten” meat, more food products are under the scanner of the food safety watchdog in the Valley.
The Food Safety Department has banned the sale of a popular biscuit and packaged water brands over alleged contamination.
After taking samples of various food products, the department banned the sale and use of Ajwa packaged water, allegedly finding the samples contaminated and unfit for consumption.
In an order issued by the department, it said the lab tests found the packaged water contaminated with E. Coli and Coliform bacteria.
“The sample was sent for analysis to National Food Testing Laboratory, Ghaziabad, wherein the sample has been declared as unsafe due to the presence of E.Coli and Coliform bacteria,” an order by the department read. “Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred, and in the interest of Public health and consumer safety, the sale, storage and distribution or display of Ajwa Packaged Drinking water is strictly prohibited…,” it said.
This comes a month after another packaged water brand, Snowdrop, was banned. Officials had said they found arsenic contamination in that particular packaged water brand.
The Food Safety Department has also banned the sale and use of Butter Delite biscuits, manufactured under the Priyagold brand. Officials said that the laboratory tested a particular batch of the biscuit, which was allegedly found to be contaminated with sulphite levels above the permissible limits.
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Two days ago, ruling National Conference legislator Tanvir Sadiq raised concerns, saying the eggs sold in the market were contaminated with carcinogenic nitrofuran and nitroimidazole residues.
“Deeply concerned by reports of nitrofuran and nitroimidazole residues being detected in eggs. Drugs that are strictly banned in food-producing animals because of their carcinogenic and toxic effects,” Sadiq said in a post on X and urged the J&K Health Minister and Consumer Affairs Minister to order sampling and testing of eggs.
The Food Safety Department has intensified market checking of food products after it found that “rotten” and unlabelled meat was supplied to the Valley.
While the recovery of large quantities of such meat from the Valley triggered a storm and raised concerns about the source and quality of meat, severely impacting the Valley’s restaurant business, the Food Safety Department’s silence over the issue has raised concerns.
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The Valley’s chief cleric and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recently said that the public deserved answers and asked the administration to come clean on the issue.
“Accountability demands public transparency, so the authorities should inform the public about the findings of the investigation and the corrective measures with regard to food safety and regulation that they have taken after this serious incident,” Mirwaiz said.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
