‘Don’t Risk Lives for Profit’: Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar Warns Food Traders Against Adulteration

Manoj Kumar
info@impressivetimes.com

Patna: Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar has warned food traders against adulteration and violations of food safety standards, making it clear that the state government’s crackdown will continue throughout the year and will not be limited to the festive season.

Amid ongoing raids and seizure operations by the Food Safety Department across Bihar, the minister urged food business operators to strictly follow prescribed standards and refrain from putting people’s health at risk.

He said ensuring access to clean and quality food products for the people of Bihar remains a key commitment of the department. Food safety teams are regularly conducting inspections, raids and sample collection, besides seizing and destroying substandard food products.

Sharing details of enforcement action taken in November, Nishant Kumar said ghee worth approximately ₹18 lakh was seized in Patna City. At another establishment in Patna, ghee worth ₹5 lakh and flour worth ₹1.74 lakh were confiscated. A cold storage facility was also found to be storing dates worth ₹6.35 lakh, along with other food items valued at ₹13.29 lakh, which were seized and destroyed.

In Patna, thousands of bottles of packaged drinking water were seized and destroyed at three establishments, and their food licences were suspended.

Similarly, action was taken against four establishments in Jehanabad, where food products worth more than ₹29 lakh were destroyed. Materials worth around ₹2.30 lakh were seized, and eight samples were collected for testing. In Motihari, approximately 27 quintals of milk cake, doda sweets and other food products were seized and destroyed at three establishments.

Minister said the department was working to ensure adequate manpower and equipment to strengthen the campaign. Efforts were also underway to establish four new food testing centres in the state.

Appealing to food traders to act responsibly, Nishant Kumar said a healthy Bihar was the foundation of a developed Bihar. He termed food adulteration and violations of safety norms not only illegal but also unethical and anti-social.

“Do not put people’s health at risk for a little extra profit,” he said, urging all food business operators to comply with food safety standards and contribute to building a healthier Bihar.