Fake khoya, gulab jamun: 3,000 quintals of adulterated food seized in special Diwali drive in UP

So far, 3,369 samples have been collected, they said, adding nearly half of the total seized items have been destroyed after being declared unfit for consumption.

The campaign will end on Friday. The drive also led to the registration of three FIRs in Unnao, Mathura, and Lucknow, according to the officials.

“The perishable food items are destroyed by burying them underground, with the assistance of a JCB machine,” said FSDA Assistant Commissioner Vineet Kumar.

He added that the district authorities across the state have formed dedicated teams to conduct raids based on information received and tip-offs. On certain sites, wherever feasible, ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ – a mobile laboratory or van equipped for on-the-spot food testing – is deployed to check the food products.

According to sources, during raids, the primary staff of FSDA inspect food items based on their smell, appearance, and overall condition. If the food is found to be perishable, it is destroyed on the spot. In cases where the food is not perishable, it is seized for further action. In both scenarios, samples are collected and sent to the laboratory for detailed examination to confirm quality and safety.

Authorities have observed that many adulterated food items are prepared in small-scale or unregulated kitchens and then distributed to other districts and even across state borders. A recent operation in Aligarh had led to the seizure of a large quantity of adulterated khoya, which was reportedly intended for distribution in Delhi and other parts of National Capital Region (NCR), said sources.

Officials stated that the campaign is not restricted to local markets alone, and inspections are also being carried out at toll plazas and along major highways.

The state government has urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any instances of food adulteration, production or sale of counterfeit products, and organised operations involved in adulteration. The department has also issued a helpline number or WhatsApp numbers requesting the public to flag issues relating to food quality and adulteration.

Among the items seized during the campaign, 215 kg of khoya was confiscated in Unnao and 400 kg of adulterated paneer was seized in Mathura.

In Hathras, authorities seized 790 kg of adulterated pickles. Bulandshahr recorded one of the largest hauls with 3,000 kg of adulterated sweets, including rasgullas and gulab jamuns, while Mirzapur had 1,478 kg of adulterated khoya seized, said the officials. In Saharanpur, 1,100 kg of khoya was destroyed, and Hapur witnessed the seizure of 6,000 litres of refined soybean oil. Large quantities of adulterated food items, worth several lakhs, were also destroyed in Agra, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, and Muzaffarnagar.

Curated For You

Dhurandhar box office collection day 5: Ranveer Singh film earns Rs 152.75 crore; set to become actor’s highest grosser

‘Concerts in India aren’t safe for women’: British travel influencer says she and her friend were ‘touched without consent’ at Post Malone event in Guwahati

How Rahul Gandhi framed critique of poll panel, SIR in Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms