Authorities seize $1.8 crore in adulterated food, including ghee and butter, in a major August drive.
In a significant crackdown on food adulteration, the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) in Gujarat seized 46 tonnes of contaminated and duplicate food items valued at Rs 1.8 crore ($215,000 USD) during the month of August. These seizures were the result of approximately 10 raids conducted across various districts, including Surat, Ahmedabad, and Banaskantha. The special drive was initiated to ensure public access to “pure and safe food items,” a critical issue for both consumers and the integrity of the agribusiness supply chain.
A key focus of the raids was on adulterated dairy products. The FDCA seized three samples of ghee and one of butter, totaling roughly Rs 65 lakh ($78,000 USD) from SRK Dairy Farm in Surat. Additionally, authorities confiscated 448 kg of ghee from New Adinath Dairy Products in Ahmedabad and an astounding 11 tonnes of ghee from Mahadev Dairy, which was subsequently declared substandard. These findings underscore the vulnerability of the dairy sector to such illicit practices.
Beyond dairy, the authorities also targeted other food items. For example, 1.7 tonnes of cooking oil and 11 tonnes of RBD palm oil were seized from various locations. This broad scope demonstrates a concerted effort to combat different forms of food fraud. The raid on Shyam Enterprise in Surat, where 208 kg of vegetable fat was seized, further reveals how cheap alternatives are used to create counterfeit products, impacting both consumer health and market transparency.
The FDCA Commissioner, Dr. HG Koshiya, emphasized that strict action is being taken against those responsible for making adulterated products. The drive also resulted in the destruction of 32 kg of unsafe food and the seizure of 12 tonnes of adulterated goods from 468 inspected sellers. The crackdown also netted a significant amount of fake paneer and cheese from M Divine Food in Mehsana, highlighting the pervasive nature of food fraud across the region.
This aggressive enforcement action has major implications for dairy economics and the broader food safety landscape. The seizures of significant quantities of counterfeit ghee and other dairy products reveal the scale of the challenge. For the international dairy industry, this news reinforces the importance of robust quality control and supply chain traceability to protect brands and ensure consumer trust in a market where the origin and purity of products are increasingly scrutinized.
Source: The Indian Express, “Gujarat: 46 tonnes of adulterated food items worth Rs 1.8 crore seized in August”
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