New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) In view of the ongoing festive season and ahead of Holi, the Delhi government's Food Safety Department carried out an enforcement drive, lifting 66 food samples, including that of paneer, khoya and pulses, an official said on Thursday.

Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said that the drive was focused on systematic food sampling and prevention of adulteration.

"The health and safety of Delhi's citizens is the top priority of the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government. There will be zero tolerance towards food adulteration. Our teams are actively inspecting markets, production units and border entry points to ensure that only safe and quality food reaches the public," the Minister added.

"During the special drive, a total of 66 food samples were lifted, comprising 54 surveillance samples and 12 legal samples, to ensure strict compliance with prescribed food safety standards and to initiate legal action wherever required," an official said in a statement.

As per the food category-wise classification, the samples collected include 16 samples under prepared foods (nine surveillance and seven legal); 18 samples under salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads and protein products (17 surveillance and one legal); 17 samples under cereals and cereal products, including pulses, grains and related items (13 surveillance and four legal); 11 surveillance samples under fats, oils and fat emulsions; and four surveillance samples under dairy products and analogues (excluding specified sub-categories).

"Special emphasis has been placed on pulses and related cereal products, given their increased consumption," the official added.

He said that inspection teams were deployed in major Khoya mandis and Paneer mandis to check the quality and safety standards of dairy products.

Samples were collected and strict action has been initiated wherever violations were found, he added.

The Health Minister directed officials not to limit inspections only to mandis.

He specifically instructed the department to conduct thorough inspections in densely populated areas where khoya and paneer are being prepared and supplied locally.

Production units operating in residential clusters are also being closely monitored, the Minister said.

Additionally, Minister Singh directed intensified surveillance at Delhi's border areas and adjoining regions from where paneer and khoya are transported into the city.

Entry points are being closely inspected to prevent the inflow of adulterated food products into Delhi, he said.

--IANS

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