Black pepper worth Rs 58 lakh seized on suspicion of being adulterated
The FDA has also seized material ranging from betel nut (beetlenuts) to 'kharra' (mixed chewable tobacco) worth around Rs 88 lakh during the special drive.
Nagpur: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) team has seized over 11,160 kg of black pepper worth around Rs 58 lakh from an unauthorized godown in Vadhamana on suspicion of adulteration in dried papaya seeds.
The FDA has also seized material ranging from betel nut (beetlenuts) to ‘kharra’ (mixed chewable tobacco) worth around Rs 88 lakh during the special drive.
It is also learned that a sufficient quantity of black pepper, which had come from Uttar Pradesh, was also kept in a godown in Vadhamana. The Food and Drugs Administration team of Food Safety Officer (FSO) Lalit Soyam, under joint commissioner Suresh Annapure, and assistant commissioner Prashant Deshmukh raided the warehouse. Which did not have the necessary license at all to stock up on food items. About 226 bags of black pepper have been seized.
“Black pepper is also often found mixed with dried papaya seeds. Many unscrupulous traders also polish black pepper with mineral oil so that the glaze and gloss can give it a premium look and fetch an even higher price, an FDA official said, adding that samples of the seized material had also been sent to the government analyst for examination.
The FDA team raided KK Traders in Shastri Nagar on Monday
According to an FDA source, a substantial amount of black pepper is distributed from Nagpur to the rest of Vidarbha, after the consignments also arrive from different parts of North India, especially UP.
FDA teams have also confiscated 3 kg of tea powder from a shop in Manewada on suspicion of being adulterated or substandard.
The teams of the Food and Drugs Administration have also started their action on betel nut traders once again. Especially those who bring in substandard stock from other states and after chemical treatment also distribute it to rest of Nagpur and Vidarbha, Which is also considered very harmful to health.
The FDA team had also raided KK Traders in Shastri Nagar on Monday and also seized 2,221 kg of betel nut worth around Rs 11 lakh. The FDA and the police had also raided a grocery shop in Takiya Diwanshaha, in which 59 kg of betel nut worth about Rs 1 lakh been seized. A case has also been registered at the Tehsil police station.
The FDA team also seized around 1 kg of ‘Kharra’ (mixed tobacco) worth around Rs 1,200.
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