Mumbai: BMC’s health officers will inspect sweet shops and mawa storage and cold rooms ahead of the festival season.
It is a special campaign undertaken by the Health Department from September 1 to December 31 to prevent adulteration of sweets during the festivals.
Special precautions during festive period
“We have given instructions to all medical health officers, sanitation inspectors to conduct thorough inspections at all sweets shops,” said Dr Sudhakar Shinde, additional municipal commissioner, health.
There have been instances when adulterated foods, sweets, mawa have been used. Customers also do not check quality before buying sweets, he said.
“We are taking special precautions during the festival period. Establishments selling mawa-mithai will be inspected in the city of Mumbai,” Shinde said.
As per the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) First Amendment Regulations, 2017, use of edible oils more than three times is forbidden. “Repeated usage of cooking oil leads to changes in the physiochemical, nutritional and sensory properties, which cause severe health issues. During frying, total polar compounds or TPCs are formed in the oil, which are also called frying fats. The regulation has been introduced to stop this,” an expert said.
Public needs to be aware about sweets poisoning
Dr Daksha Shah, executive health officer, said the civic body has instructed officers to distribute leaflets and create public awareness about sweets poisoning. If sweets change in colour or have a strong smell or mould, they should not be consumed, she said.
“Such substances should be brought to the notice of the divisional medical health officer of the Health Department,” she said.
