Key Update

The Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) has intensified its crackdown on food adulteration by seizing 5.5 tonnes of suspected adulterated ghee worth ₹35 lakh from a manufacturing unit in Banaskantha district. The raid, conducted on September 5, targeted Shree Sales, a unit located in Chandisar GIDC. FDCA officials had already been monitoring Shree Sales closely after seizing over 650 kg of suspected adulterated ghee worth ₹3.5 lakh from the same unit in June. Acting on sustained suspicion, a team revisited the facility and inspected its storage area.

Suspicious Stock and Palm Oil Containers Found

During the inspection, officials recovered 124 tins of 15 kg of Gumar Brand ghee and 232 tins of 15 kg unlabeled ghee stored under questionable conditions. Based on visible irregularities, the team collected two samples for laboratory testing and immediately seized the remaining stock. Inside the manufacturing section, officials found no active production or raw ghee materials. However, they discovered multiple empty palm oil containers on site. These findings led the FDCA to strongly suspect that the seized ghee had been adulterated using palm oil.

Statewide Action on Food Adulteration

This seizure is part of a larger statewide campaign against food adulteration. In August alone, the FDCA confiscated 46 tonnes (46,000 kg) of unsafe or suspicious food items from 10 locations across Gujarat. The total estimated value of these seized items stands at ₹1.8 crore. FDCA officials have already sent 28 food samples from these raids to laboratories for analysis. The administration continues to monitor high-risk units and take strict action against offenders to ensure food safety across the state.

Source: The Indian Express