Chandigarh: Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh on Monday said the state govt had started testing food supplements and nutraceutical products, especially those sold in gyms.Replying to a question related on food adulteration, he informed the assembly that the products were being tested for aflatoxins, steroids, heavy metals, insecticides, and pesticides. “The results of these tests will come within 6 months,” he said. AAP MLA from Rampura Phul, Balkar Singh Sidhu, asked whether it was a fact that milk and milk products were being adulterated on a large scale in the state, causing serious harm to the health of the people.The minister replied, “No, it’s not true that milk and milk products are being adulterated on a large scale in the state.”The minister said, “I would also like to mention that we now adopted a targeted approach, which was not done earlier. During festivals especially, adulterated paneer (cheese) often comes from other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. We now intercept such products at the borders. If any citizen or MLA suspects adulteration, they can call the 104 helpline or inform the Civil Surgeon. If someone reports that there is a suspicious paneer factory somewhere, we inspect the factory.“
