The Food Safety Department in Anantnag, South Kashmir has banned a specific batch of Priyagold Butter Delite biscuits after lab tests revealed dangerously high sulphite levels, deeming it unsafe for consumption. In a related move, authorities launched a widespread inspection drive across the Kashmir Valley on Friday to check eggs for nitrofuran and nitroimidazole residues following public concerns.
Officials acted swiftly on a routine market surveillance sample of Priyagold Butter Delite biscuits (Batch No. E25KPO2FB), collected by a Food Safety Officer from local markets. Sent to the National Food Laboratory (NFL) in Ghaziabad, the sample tested positive for excessive sulphites in report No. JK-665/DEC/25/786 dated December 5, 2025—exceeding limits under food safety regulations.
Elevated sulphites can trigger severe health issues, particularly for asthma patients and sulphite-sensitive individuals, experts caution. The violation falls under Section 3(1)(zz)(xi) of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
Designated Officer Sheikh Zameer Ahmad invoked Section 36(3)(b) to issue an immediate order halting the sale, storage, and distribution of the batch district-wide. “All wholesalers, retailers, and shopkeepers must withdraw this batch from shelves without delay. Strict compliance is mandatory,” the order stated. Consumers have been advised to avoid the product—manufactured by M/S Surya Food & Agro Ltd. (Unit II), Greater Noida, and marketed from Noida—until further notice.
Simultaneously, Food Safety teams fanned out across organised and unorganised markets in the Valley, collecting multiple egg samples amid reports of antibiotic residues like nitrofuran and nitroimidazole, which are banned in poultry due to health risks.
Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety Srinagar, Yameen ul Nabi, urged calm: “No physical inspection can confirm contamination. Lab reports are pending, and action will follow under the FSSA, 2006, if violations are found.” Inspections continue in supermarkets and local bazaars.
