LUCKNOW: Augmenting its efforts to ensure that the state government’s recent ban on Halal-certified consumable items in the city is implemented to the T, the Food Safety and Drugs Authority (FSDA) on Monday seized goods worth over Rs 20,000 for over five retailers and grocery marts.
On the second day of their exhaustive drive to crack down on the retailers still selling Halal-certified goods in the city, different teams of the FSDA raided multiple stores in the city. Of dozens of the places that were raided on Monday, the department found at least five stores and grocery items flouting the new rules.
The FSDA team seized the items and sent them to the forensic laboratory for further investigation. Items seized from the stores, including dark stores of a few online grocery apps, include five packets of Urad Dal worth Rs 800, 92 packets of Chaat Masala worth Rs 8,300, and 164 packets of ready-to-cook chicken soup worth Rs 11,480.
According to the officials, all these products were found to have halal certification inscribed on their packets. While no action has been taken against the retailers, the samples have been sent to the laboratory.
“Based on the findings of the report, appropriate actions will be taken. We will lodge a case against all those who are found guilty in the report and they will be liable for a Rs 3 lakh penalty,” said FSDA assistant commissioner (food) SP Singh.
The action by the FSDA stems from the recent directions of the state government where it instructed the officials to take strict legal measures against individuals or firms involved in any aspect of halal-certified products within the state.
