JAGATSINGHPUR: A day after priests of Maa Sarala temple alleged supply of adulterated and substandard ghee by Omfed, the milk cooperative on Saturday replaced 15 boxes it had sold to the shrine.
The temple administration had bought 25 boxes of ghee from Omfed three to four days back for Rs 2.60 lakh. However, while preparing manda pitha (a type of rice cake), the sevayats complained of a foul smell emanating from the kitchen. The sevayats reported the issue to the temple administration.
After the sevayats alleged the ghee was adulterated, food safety officer Samita Das inspected the boxes and found they did not have labels, batch numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates on them. While Omfed officials said the boxes might have been replaced with ones filled with adulterated ghee by some unscrupulous elements, the milk cooperative replaced 15 boxes as the rest 10 had already been used.
In-charge manager of Omfed’s Nuapada unit Lalitendu Patra said Omfed ghee boxes carry labels, batch numbers and other mandatory details. “There is no question of the ghee being adultered at the Nuapada plant. The truth will come out after the samples of ghee are tested and the results are out,” he said.
Das said she has sought clarification on the matter from the Cuttack Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union.
Ranjan Panda, the chief priest of the temple, said, “We suspect a racket is involved in adulterating ghee. Sevayats, priests and devotees have requested the administration to conduct a raid on Nuapada plant of Omfed and expose the racket. We believe some unscrupulous elements are adulterating the ghee and supplying it to the market without proper labels, batch numbers and manufacture and expiry dates.”