Daltonganj: Food safety officials have inspected 251 food business operators across Palamu, focusing on the quality of cooking oil used for preparing popular snacks such as samosas and pakoras, from April 2026 till date, sources said.A total of Rs 46,000 fine has been collected on the spot while Rs 8.85 lakh fine collected by the executive officer-cum-additional collector court during the period.Palamu food safety officer (FSO) Law Kumar Gupta said, “Teams are using digital devices to measure the total polar material (TPM) level in frying oil, an indicator of oil degradation. Under food safety norms, frying oil should contain less than 25% TPM,” adding, “The drive aims to assess the quality of oil being used and ensure compliance with food safety standards.”On Thursday, officials checked a popular eatery near govt bus stand, where snacks were being prepared. The oil sample was found to have TPM levels above the permissible limit. Officials disposed of the oil and warned the establishment against reusing degraded cooking oil.Sources associated with the eatery, however, maintained that the establishment uses branded packaged edible oil and not loose oil, arguing that suppliers should also be held accountable if the oil quality is found lacking.None of the eateries possess mandatory documents such as pest-control certificates and water-quality test reports, both of which are routinely checked during inspections, Gupta added. Water quality testing is carried out by the drinking water and sanitation department.
