Patna: The Food Safety Department has suspended the food licences of three establishments in Patna after raids uncovered irregularities in the sale and labelling of packaged drinking water being marketed under the Bisleri brand. A fourth establishment has been issued a 14-day improvement notice.
A departmental team conducted inspections at four establishments on Monday, seizing and destroying large quantities of packaged drinking water. The action followed the detection of alleged counterfeit products, improper labelling and violations of food safety standards.
The establishments facing licence suspension are S Hydrela, Maa Enterprises and Krishna Enterprises. Aditya Enterprises, located in the Beur police station area, has been directed to address the identified deficiencies within 14 days.
2,400 Bottles Seized From S Hydrela
During the inspection of S Hydrela in Manoharpur-Kachuara, officials reportedly found packaged drinking water being sold under the Bisleri brand with labels carrying the address and licence number of another business entity.
The department seized and destroyed 1,500 bottles of 1.5-litre capacity and 900 bottles of 500-millilitre capacity. Water samples were collected for laboratory testing.
The inspection also revealed deficiencies in hygiene and compliance with food safety requirements. According to the department, employees lacked medical certificates, and the establishment did not have provisions for mandatory uniforms for production personnel.
The food licence of S Hydrela was suspended following the inspection.
More Than 15,000 Bottles Destroyed At Maa Enterprises
At Maa Enterprises in Badi Pahari, the Food Safety Department seized and destroyed 15,168 bottles carrying the Bisleri brand name.
The seized stock included 4,800 one-litre bottles and 10,368 bottles of 500-millilitre capacity. The department estimated the value of the seized items at approximately Rs 62,645.
Officials also collected samples from a separate stock comprising 905 one-litre bottles and 9,216 half-litre bottles for laboratory examination.
The establishment’s food licence was suspended following the action.
Action Against Aditya Enterprises In Beur
The department also inspected Aditya Enterprises in the Beur police station area over the sale of packaged drinking water under the brand names Bisleri, Suhar Bisleri, Aditya Bisleri and Nutri-entral.
Officials seized and destroyed the stock and collected samples for laboratory testing.
The establishment has been issued a 14-day improvement notice, directing it to rectify the deficiencies identified during the inspection.
Krishna Enterprises Faces Licence Suspension
At Krishna Enterprises in Sonagopalpur, Sampatchak, officials seized and destroyed 2,338 one-litre bottles of Bisleri, 9,240 smaller bottles of Sanjeevani and 500 bottles of Nutri Drop.
The total value of the seized products was estimated at more than Rs 1.05 lakh.
The department suspended the establishment’s food licence following the inspection.
Samples Sent For Laboratory Testing
The Food Safety Department collected water samples from the inspected establishments for laboratory examination to assess their compliance with prescribed food safety standards.
The inspections are part of the department’s enforcement action against irregularities in the packaged drinking water market. The seized products were destroyed following the raids, while the establishments facing licence suspension will be subject to further action in accordance with food safety regulations.
