Pulwama, July 31: The Food Safety Department, Pulwama, has prohibited the sale of a batch of "Dust Tea (Premium Instant Mix Tea)" marketed under the brand name "New Fast Tea" (Batch No. 10) after it was declared unsafe for human consumption by the National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad.

According to the Designated Officer, Food Safety, Pulwama, the sample of the tea product was procured by the Food Safety Officer, Tral, from the market and subsequently sent for analysis. The laboratory report found the product to be unsafe due to the presence of water-soluble synthetic colour Tartrazine and Sunset Yellow, rendering it non-compliant with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The department stated that the consumption of the said product may be harmful to public health and is liable to prohibition under Regulation 2.3.7 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
It was further stated that the manufacture and sale of unsafe food, as defined under Section 3(1)(zz)(vii) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, is prohibited and punishable under Section 59(i) of the Act.
Accordingly, exercising powers conferred under Section 36(3)(b) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Designated Officer, Food Safety, Pulwama, has ordered an immediate prohibition on the sale of the aforesaid food product within the territorial jurisdiction of District Pulwama until further orders.