Patna: The state food safety department seized and destroyed 170kg of foul-smelling sweets and paneer at a Kankarbagh confectionery on Tuesday and confiscated milk cake and ‘peda’ worth Rs 5 lakh from another outlet during festive-season inspections. Officials also found fungal growth in food items and serious hygiene violations at several establishments.The action followed the cancellation of manufacturing licences of two sweet-making units and suspension of another unit’s licence in Patna on Monday over food safety violations.The health department has been inspecting restaurants, hotels and food manufacturing units across Bihar for over a month with checks focusing on sweetshops in recent days. The drive, ordered by secretary-cum-food safety commissioner Kumar Ravi, aims to prevent the sale of adulterated, expired and contaminated food during Durga Puja and Diwali.At a confectionery in Hanuman Nagar, Kankarbagh, officials destroyed 120kg of chhena sweets, 20kg of jaggery sweets, 10kg of mixed sweets and 20kg of paneer. The chhena sweets and paneer were valued at Rs 41,000. Another Kankarbagh outlet was found storing 3,344kg of milk cake and 112kg of peda, which were seized. A confectionery near Kadamkuan had a bathroom in its kitchen area.On Monday, two units in Buddha Colony lost their manufacturing licences after expired ingredients were found. One stored expired gram flour, refined flour and wheat flour worth Rs 18,335, while 70kg of expired gram flour was destroyed. Expired custard powder, flavouring material and baking powder were found and destroyed at the second unit. Another unit’s licence was suspended, with its operator given three days to explain the violations.At a Ramkrishna Nagar sweet shop, officials destroyed 630kg of kalakand, 10kg of barfi and 5kg of laddoo worth Rs 1 lakh. In Indira Nagar, spoiled milk powder and other food items were seized and destroyed.Recent inspections also revealed poor sanitation, damaged floors and walls, inadequate lighting, improper storage and missing pest-control arrangements and water-testing reports. Samples were sent for laboratory test.
