Synopsis
Ahmedabad's Food Safety authorities have launched a significant operation against adulterated dairy products, seizing about 1,500 kg of contaminated paneer. The raid at Dwarkesh Dairy Products revealed the use of harmful substances in production. Authorities are taking steps to ensure safe food for Gujarat's residents.Key Takeaways
- 1,500 kg of adulterated paneer seized.
- Raid conducted by the FDCA at Dwarkesh Dairy Products.
- Harmful substances like palm oil and acetic acid found.
- Government ensuring safe food for citizens.
- Ongoing investigations into food adulteration cases.
Ahmedabad, Feb 4 (NationPress) The Food Safety authorities in Ahmedabad have initiated a vigorous campaign against adulterated dairy products, leading to the seizure of around 1,500 kg of tainted paneer and associated raw materials from a local facility.
A special team from the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) executed a raid at Dwarkesh Dairy Products, situated in Ahmedabad.
During this operation, officials uncovered harmful substances, such as palm oil and industrial-grade acetic acid, which were reportedly utilized during production.
Authorities collected three samples on-site for additional testing, while the remaining stock—valued at Rs 3.15 lakh—was seized to protect public health. As stated by the FDCA, the government is dedicated to assuring safe and sanitary food for the residents of Gujarat. Officials have reiterated that stern legal measures will be enforced against any individuals or businesses engaged in food adulteration or forgery.
Responding to a confidential tip-off, the FDCA’s special team from Gandhinagar conducted the raid on February 4, 2025, resulting in the significant seizure. Ongoing investigations will assess the scope of the adulteration and its possible health implications. Between April and September 2024, Gujarat's authorities examined 4,316 food samples, with 360 (approximately 8.3 percent) failing to meet safety standards.
Over the past three years, the state reported 824, 978, and 910 samples that did not pass quality inspections in the fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, respectively. In a 15-day initiative conducted in October 2024, the FDCA confiscated 233 tonnes of suspected adulterated food items throughout Gujarat.
Earlier this year, in April 2024, FDCA officials seized over 60,000 kg of tainted spices, including chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, and pickle masala. Despite these enforcement actions, the rate of legal proceedings against violators appears to be minimal.
Over the last three years, out of 41,509 food samples analyzed, only 4,506 civil complaints and 168 criminal cases were initiated, leading to a prosecution rate of merely 11.2 percent.
A study conducted by Pure Earth raised alarms regarding lead contamination in food ware within Gujarat. The research revealed that 95 percent of metallic foodware samples and 77 percent of ceramic foodware samples surpassed acceptable levels for lead content. In contrast, samples of toys, cosmetics, plastic food ware, spices, and staple dry foods were infrequently found to contain lead adulteration.
