Namakkal: In a far-reaching crackdown, officials of the Food Safety department conducted surprise checks at sago factories in Namakkal district on Thursday and seized 1,192 tonnes of adulterated sago worth Rs 6 crore.
The action by the officials followed the district administration having received complaints on hoarding of adulterated sago in many factories across Namakkal district, an informed source told DC here.
Based on a tip-off, officials from the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department led by district food safety officer, M Kavikumar launched a concerted search on Thursday. In all, 20 officials in four teams conducted surprise checks at many sago factories, virtually simultaneously.
The checks were conducted in eight major areas including Athanur, Metala, Masakalipatti and Muthukalipatti, where officials found huge quantities of adulterated sago in godowns. M Kavikumar, said, “totally 1,192 tonnes of adulterated sago worth Rs 6 crore were seized from eight factories. The godowns were sealed and samples were taken for further tests.”
During the check, officials also found a sago factory lacking in basic amenities and also running without renewing their licence. “The factory was already warned and given a deadline to rectify all issues. However, they failed to follow instructions and district collector hence ordered to cancel their licence,” he noted.
