Food safety concerns rise in J&K after multiple seizures of contaminated food
SRINAGAR: Food safety concerns are mounting in Jammu and Kashmir, with seizures of contaminated items ranging from biscuits and bottled water to eggs, meat and synthetic cheese, prompting heightened vigilance by authorities. The Food Safety Department (FSD) on Saturday banned the sale, storage and distribution of the packaged drinking water brand Ajwa after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of dangerous bacteria, including E. coli and coliform, in a sample collected from Srinagar. The sample was tested at the National Food Testing Laboratory in Ghaziabad, and the report dated 25 November 2025 confirmed E. coli and coliform contamination, indicating possible faecal contamination and serious health risks. The bottled water brand has been declared unsafe and unfit for consumption. This is the second instance of packaged drinking water being banned in recent weeks. Last month, authorities prohibited the sale of another brand, Snowdrop , after arsenic contamination was detected. Food safety violations have also been detected in packaged food products. On 12 December, FSD found Priya Gold Butter Delite biscuits unsafe for consumption and banned their sale in Anantnag district, south Kashmir, where the sample was collected. Laboratory analysis at the National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad revealed sulphite levels exceeding permissible limits. Health experts warn that consuming food products with excessive sulphite content could pose health risks, particularly for vulnerable individuals. Traders, shopkeepers and distributors have been directed to withdraw the product from shelves and comply with the ban. FSD teams have also launched a valley-wide inspection drive to collect egg samples for testing, following a viral video alleging the presence of carcinogenic elements in eggs. According to the Assistant Commissioner of the Food Safety Department, Srinagar, all districts have been instructed to collect samples from both organised and unorganised markets. FSD teams have lifted multiple samples and sent them for laboratory analysis. Reports are expected soon, he said. Several supermarkets across the Valley have been checked for the brand mentioned in the viral clip. We have not yet found the specific brand referred to, the official added. Earlier, 3,600 kg of rotten meat was seized during raids across the Valley in AugustSeptember, and a large quantity of synthetic cheese was also confiscated during operations in the Jammu region. The repeated detection of substandard and unsafe food products has heightened concern among residents across Jammu and Kashmir, with people demanding stricter screening, regular inspections and stronger enforcement to ensure food sold in markets is safe for consumption.
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