Bihar: How Potatoes Were Being Falsified to Look Fresh in Patna

In Patna, Bihar, a deceptive practice of rejuvenating old potatoes using chemicals and red soil to make them appear fresh was uncovered. The Food Safety Administration seized a large quantity of these adulterated potatoes. Raids conducted in the Meethapur and Meena Bazaar mandis revealed that the vendors were employing chemicals and red soil to transform old potatoes into seemingly new ones, posing a potential health risk to consumers.

Food Safety Officer Ajay Kumar stated that initial investigations indicated that potatoes were being imported daily from Chhattisgarh via trucks, arriving early in the morning. Local traders would then purchase these potatoes from the mandi around 9 am and subsequently distribute them to various neighborhoods. The raid, led by Food Safety Officer Ajay Kumar, resulted in the seizure of approximately two truckloads of potatoes.