PANAJI
The State Food & Drugs Administration has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the country's top business firm Adani and its partner’s joint venture “Adani Wilmar Limited” for the production and sale of substandard refined oil. The company which operates from its headquarters in Malegao, has been involved in manufacturing and distributing these products to different markets, including Goa.
Adani Wilmar Limited is a food and beverage conglomerate, which is a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and Wilmar International. The company claims to be India's largest processor of palm oil.
Details shared by the FDA state that during a recent check by FDA officers, Food Safety Officer Ankita Palyekar found Adani Wilmar guilty of manufacturing and selling substandard ‘Fortune Plus + Soya Health Refined Soya Bean Oil’. “It was deemed “Sub-Standard” after analysis by the Food Analyst. The product's Vitamin A (4.25 µg RE/gm) and Vitamin D (<0.05 ug/gm) content were found to be below the prescribed limits,” it said.
As such, the company has been slapped with a fine of Rs 1 lakh to be paid to the FDA within the prescribed time limit. It is also learnt that the substandard products are being withdrawn from the market with directions to the manufacturer to adhere to the food safety norms, failing which further action will follow.
In the second case, also filed by Palyekar, proprietor of M/s Rajpurohit Sweet Mart at Aquem Salcete is imposed a fine of Rs 5,000. The establishment is responsible for manufacturing and selling ‘Papdi, Kharegati and Bhavnagri Shev’ below the food safety standards, which was proven after analysis revealed a fat content (ODB) of 47.52 percent, 53.17 percent, and 52.49 percent, respectively. These percentages exceeded the permissible limits stated in IS 15271:2013.
In the third case, a fine of Rs 30,000 was imposed by FSO Shruti Pilarnekar on Food Business Operators of M/s Sanman Sweets, located at -Da-Gama as they were found guilty of manufacturing and selling ‘Gathi (Loose)’, which was declared “Sub-Standard” upon analysis. “The product's fat content (ODB) was measured at 52.59 percent exceeding the specified quantity and not complying with IS 15271:2013,” the FDA said.
