THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Onam around the corner, the flow of adulterated milk and coconut oil to Kerala has increased raising serious concern about the quality of the products sold in the market. Recently, Kerafed has raised a complaint with the Commissionerate of Food Safety Department seeking its intervention to prevent the flow of adulterated coconut oil brought in tankers from Tamil Nadu and other states.
The food safety authorities have decided to step up surveillance at check posts to screen the flow of coconut oil and milk from other states. Recently, the Dairy Development Department seized a tanker carrying 12,750 litres of urea-mixed milk. The managing director of Kerafed, in a complaint submitted to the food safety department, has urged the department to step up surveillance and do more quality checking to curb the sale of adulterated coconut oil.
Many adulterated coconut oil brands with names similar to ‘Kera’ — the coconut oil brand of Kerafed — are being sold in the state. Previously, the Food Safety Department banned around 166 coconut oil brands which were sub-standard and adulterated. Kerafed alleged that adulterated coconut oils are being sold at a reduced rate. While Kerafed is selling coconut oil at `180, some of the oil brands are selling their product between `30 and `40.
The food safety authorities are planning for special drives ahead of Onam from August 29. “Special squads have been formed to ensure the quality of food products sold in the market during Onam. The squads have collected around 140 surveillance samples so far,” an official of the Food Safety Department.