Check food adulteration ahead of festive season: Ram Vilas Paswan

NEW DELHI: The department of consumer affairs has written to state governments to check food adulteration of the festive season, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has said.

"We have written to state governments to ensure that the practices of food adulteration should be checked ahead of festive season when sweets and other food products are sold in large quantities," Paswan told reporters in the city on Wednesday.

Paswan added that the government has asked the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to ensure hallmarking of gold jewellery.

"We request you to direct respective departments to ensure that food adulteration must be stopped and customers must get jewellery of the highest quality," the letter written to state governments read.

Paswan said the government is trying to sensitize consumers about hallmarking, so they can get the right product for the price they are paying.

"To make the consumer available quality ornaments, Jewelers will not be allowed to violate Hallmarking Scheme of BIS," Paswan said in a tweet Wednesday evening.

The government has also asked the states to be vigilant of prices of consumer goods during the festive season, the minister said.