Panaji: During inspections of sweet and farsan manufacturers in Bardez, the food and drugs administration (FDA) destroyed 320kg of farsan worth Rs 64,000 and 185kg of mawa worth Rs 37,000 prepared in unhygienic conditions.The mawa was found being stored without proper refrigeration and other items were found stored without any packing in open cardboard boxes on the ground. The FDA conducted surveillance drives of six such units and directed two units to suspend operations due to unhygienic conditions and remain shut until they comply with deficiencies pointed out.During another drive conducted at the Margao KTC bus stand and units at Quepem recently, the FDA destroyed 430kg of food articles worth Rs 85,850. These included 23kg of food items, including pickle, chocolate, hing goli, pan, sweet amla, being transported without labels to Goa, all worth Rs 8,000 as well as 30kg of snacks and potato chips worth Rs 9,000 without any proper manufacturing and use by dates or FSSAI licence number on their labels.Another 200kg of ice cubes worth Rs 12,000, manufactured from Pune, had a misleading label declaring an FSSAI licence number of Goa and the manufacturing unit was also destroyed. At Shirvoi, Quepem stock of 150kg kalakand worth Rs 45,000 was found without proper label declaration. Another manufacturing unit at Xeldem was inspected, where 27kg of wawa worth RS 11,800 was found without a proper FSSAI licence number and added colour.In addition, the FDA team also carried out a surveillance drive in Margao checking on artificial ripening of different fruits in view of the upcoming Ganesh festival. The surveillance was carried out at shops of various wholesalers and dealers in and around Margao, but the FDA did not find any incidence of artificial ripening activities. The FDA, however, collected and drew samples of fruits and sent them for analysis.
