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Food Lab Delays Plague Festive Season Raids
27 Nov, 2025
Summary
- 37 food sample reports from October raids remain pending.
- Over a month later, a third of collected samples are unverified.
- Lab workload is cited as the reason for significant testing delays.
Local health authorities are experiencing substantial delays in verifying the safety of food items. As of the current date, reports for 37 out of 107 food samples collected in October are still pending from the food testing laboratory in Kharar. These samples, encompassing items like sweets, ghee, and paneer, were gathered during a campaign aimed at curbing adulterated products.
The district health officer cited an overwhelming workload at the laboratory during the festive season as the primary reason for the testing backlog. This delay means that nearly a third of the collected samples remain unverified over a month later. Despite this, nine samples have already been identified as unsafe or substandard for consumption.
Vendors whose samples failed tests are now facing penalties, with legal processes initiated in the sessions court for unsafe items and the ADC's court for substandard ones. The department has also implemented a WhatsApp helpline to facilitate public complaints, which has aided in targeting specific areas for raids and inspections.
