Baramulla Food Safety Department’s ‘Prohibition’ Order Creates Confusion
WS/VP DESK
Baramulla, 13 Oct: A prohibition order issued by the Baramulla Food Safety Department against the packaged drinking water ‘Snowdrop’ has sparked public confusion and raised serious concerns across the valley.
The public has largely interpreted the order as indicating a company-wide fault, while the manufacturer has refuted the implications of a broad ban.
According to an order, a copy of which is with The Web Story/The Varmul Post, the Food Safety Officer in Dangiwacha procured a sample of “Snow Drop” packaged drinking water (Batch No. 0062, 2-litre capacity). The sample, with a packing date of 14.03.2025 and a use-by date of 13.12.2025, was manufactured by M/S: Aqua Impex Foods in Rafiabad, Baramulla.
The order states that the Food Analyst at the National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad, via report No. 304/Sep/25/JK dated 02-09-2025, confirmed the sample to be unsafe. The analysis revealed an arsenic content exceeding the maximum prescribed limit.
Consumption of packaged drinking water containing arsenic beyond the permissible limit is considered a threat to public health. As the manufacturing and sale of unsafe food products is prohibited under the FSS Act, 2006, the Assistant Commissioner (Designated Officer) of Food Safety in Baramulla, Ajaz Iqbal, exercised his powers to prohibit the sale of the specified batch in the district until further orders.
This directive has led to significant confusion, with a large section of the public misinterpreting it as a complete ban on the product.
Social media has been buzzing with various versions of the story, and the department’s lack of a clarifying statement, as per the order, has amplified the confusion.
Despite repeated attempts by The Web Story/The Varmul Post, the concerned food department official was unavailable for comment.
When The Web Story/The Varmul Post reached out to other officials in the concerned department, they also declined to speak on the issue, adding further ambiguity.
Meanwhile, the company has stated that the report is being misinterpreted. In an official statement, they clarified that there is no complete ban on the sale of Snow Drop Packaged Drinking Water. The order applies only to Batch No. 0062 of the 2-litre variant, which they claim was recalled months ago. The company asserts that all other Snow Drop products on the market are 100% safe and fully compliant with food safety standards.
The statement further read, “It has come to our notice that some individuals are spreading fake news, and the official message from the Food Department is being misinterpreted. We request everyone not to pay heed to such rumours and to rely only on official updates from our verified pages or the Food Safety Department.”
