Nagpur: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Nagpur Unit, raided residential premises of a trader in Golibar Chowk area and seized a stock of spurious pistachio (pista). Samples of the spurious pista have been sent to laboratories for analysis and further course of action would be initiated once the report is received.
The FDA received a tip off that the trader Bhaskar Mahadevrao Pawar, resident of Patvi Mandir Galli, Golibar Chowk, was indulging in manufacturing of spurious pista at his residential premises. Acting on the information a team of FDA raided the premises. The raiding team found a stock of coloured groundnut chips (spurious pistachio) and coloured groundnut in wholesome. The stock was piled for sale in the market. The accused Pawar told the raiding FDA team that the spurious pista was meant to be sold to companies manufacturing ‘Sonpapdi’ (a confectionary item). The 146-kg stock, worth Rs 15000, was seized and samples were sent to laboratories for chemical analysis.
The FDA said that a huge quantity of groundnut was being given greenish colour to look like genuine pista by using synthetic colour (Tartrazine and Brilliant Blue CCF). The bogus pista was being sold in markets at cheaper rates
The action was initiated under the directives of Assistant Commissioner (Food) Shivaji Desai. The raid was carried out by Assistant Commissioner (Food) N R Wakode, Food Safety Inspectors Akhilesh Raut and Abhay Deshpande. Further investigations are underway.
