Officials of the Food Safety Department J&K on Monday busted a group of non-locals allegedly selling fake honey and ghee under the label of pure Kashmiri brand along roadside stretches in the Barthana Qamarwari area of Srinagar.

A senior official from the Food Safety Department told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that actionable inputs were received about three days ago, following which the suspects were kept under close surveillance. Acting on the information, food safety sleuths conducted an early morning operation and seized quantities of suspected fake honey and ghee at around 8 am.

The official said the group comprised individuals hailing from Rajasthan and Bihar who were operating without any registered manufacturing unit. Instead of a factory setup, the accused were functioning as scattered roadside sellers, targeting pedestrians and passersby by falsely branding their products as pure Kashmiri food items.

The official said that the adulterated products were being sold on footpaths and along busy road stretches to mislead consumers, especially visitors and locals seeking traditional Kashmiri produce. The seized items have been sealed and samples have been forwarded to the laboratory for detailed analysis to ascertain their quality and composition.

He added that further action will be initiated strictly under food safety laws once laboratory reports are received. He also warned that selling adulterated or misbranded food items poses serious health risks and such practices will not be tolerated.

The Food Safety Department has urged the public to remain cautious while purchasing food items from roadside vendors and to report any suspicious activity to authorities for prompt action. [KNT]