Food Safety Alert: Poha Breakfast May Be Hazardous; 33.5 Quintals Seized in Kota

Kota, Rajasthan: Breakfast lovers beware! The Food Safety Department has raised serious concerns over adulterated poha being sold in Kota, potentially endangering public health. In a major operation, authorities seized 33.5 quintals of poha suspected of being chemically treated to enhance its whiteness.

According to the department, the market rate for poha ranges between ₹48–50 per kilogram, but a batch of “Amritbhog” poha from Bihar was being sold at just ₹36 per kilogram. Suspicious of adulteration, the Food Safety team conducted inspections at two locations in Kota. They seized 58 sacks (each 30 kg) of poha from a firm on Sabzimandi Road and an additional 54 sacks from a wholesale distributor in the Kathunipol area. The seized sacks lacked essential information such as manufacturer details, production date, and batch number. Four samples were collected for laboratory testing.

Dr. Narendra Nagar, CMHO Kota, warned consumers not to compromise on health by buying cheaper poha, as it may contain harmful chemical whiteners.

This operation follows the department’s earlier inspections during Diwali, where eight food samples—including namkeen, curd, milk cake, besan laddoo, mohan kheer, and petha—failed quality tests. Complaints regarding these violations have been filed in the ADM court against the following establishments:

1. Manoj Malav – Messrs Malav Restaurant, CAD Circle – Namkeen
2. Ajay Kumar – Messrs Sai Enterprises, Shivjyoti Sr. Sec. School – Curd
3. Shyam Sundar Agarwal – Messrs Shri Bikaneri Misthan Bhandar, Gumanpura – Milk Cake
4. Mahendra Jain – Messrs Jain Bandhu Enterprises, Chambal Industrial Area – Besan Laddoo
5. Mahendra Giri – New Jodhpur Misthan Bhandar, Veer Savarkar Nagar – Milk Cake
6. Girish Khandelwal – Messrs Shri Dugdhalay, Patanpol – Mohan Kheer
7. Mukesh Agarwal – New Shankar Petha Store, Gumanpura – Petha
8. Rakesh Agarwal – Messrs Shankar Petha Bhandar, Veer Savarkar Nagar – Petha

Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious food products to prevent health hazards.