14 spice samples substandard in Rudrapur: all 45 sweet samples pass mobile food lab tests, but turmeric, chilli and coriander powder from the vegetable market had excess colour and adulteration

Ahead of Diwali, the food safety department's mobile food lab took 84 samples in Rudrapur on Thursday. According to Amar Ujala, all 45 sweet samples taken from Mangalam, Bikaner, Navrang, Roopam and other sweet shops met the standards in on-the-spot tests. Of the 39 samples of turmeric, chilli and coriander powder taken from the vegetable market, 14 were found substandard; their colour and adulteration were above the set limits, which can be harmful to health. Most of the substandard samples came from spices sold loose in sacks near the vegetable market and the meat market, with no brand and no expiry date. The team also checked the areas around Metropolis and Awas Vikas. The samples have been sealed and sent to the lab, and action will be taken against the shopkeepers once the report comes. According to Hindustan, the samples also included edible oil, jaggery and pulses. Joint director Lalit Mohan Pandey appealed to people not to buy loose and unbranded spices and to always take a bill.