Fake sauce unit unearthed in Berhampur

Berhampur: In a crackdown on food adulteration racket, Bada Bazar police unearthed a fake sauce production unit at Pichpichia Nagar in Berhampur. The illegal unit, run under the guise of Anmol Food Products, shocked authorities with the sheer volume of spurious and potentially hazardous food items being churned out.

Led by Bada Bazar police station in coordination with Food Safety officials from Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), the team raided a two-storied building stocked with a staggering quantity of fake tomato sauce, chili sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, pickles and spice products.

The premises were littered with drums of artificial colouring agents, acidic liquids, jerry cans filled with suspect tomato pastes and packaging materials bearing the name ‘Anmol’.

The accused was identified as Prasanta Kumar Panigrahi (48), a resident of Jagannath Vihar 2nd Lane. During the raid, he failed to produce any licence or documentation for his operations. Preliminary investigations revealed that the food products were being manufactured in blatant violation of health and safety standards, involving non-edible and harmful substances disguised as food ingredients.

Police have registered a case under sections of FSS Act, 2006, and Section 16 of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The entire stock of suspicious goods has been seized and samples have been sent to the Food Testing Laboratory for chemical examination. The accused has been arrested and will be forwarded to court. Further investigation into the supply chain and distribution network is underway.

This major bust has raised serious public health concerns, and authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such illicit food manufacturing units operating under the guise of familiar brand names.