Rajasthan food safety team seizes 550 kg spurious ghee in raid on factory

The Rajasthan food department seized 550 kg of suspected adulterated ghee following a raid on a company in Kotputli-Behror district. It comes as an India Today sting operation exposed adulteration in ghee being manufactured in UP.

In Short

• The food department conducted a raid on Sanwarya Agro Foods
• Ghee was brought from Delhi and repackaged before being sold
• An India Today sting operation exposed adulteration in ghee in UP

The Rajasthan food department seized 550 kg of suspected adulterated ghee following a raid on a company in Kotputli-Behror district. Acting on long-standing complaints, the team conducted a raid on Sanwarya Agro Foods on Friday under additional district collector Omprakash Saran, along with food safety officer Hemant Kumar.

Samples of the confiscated ghee have been sent to Jaipur for further testing. Hemant Kumar said the employees of the company revealed that the owner, one Manjeet from Haryana, brought the ghee in bulk from Delhi before repackaging it and selling it to local traders in rural areas.

During the raid, the food safety team found ghee stored in large iron drums, ready for redistribution. Suspecting that it might be adulterated, the team sent samples of the ghee to the Jaipur food safety laboratory and seized the rest.

Following the lab results, the food department said that strict legal action would be taken under the Food Safety Act 2006. The crackdown has created a stir among local businesses suspected of similar practices.

Earlier this month, around 1,000 litres of fake ghee were seized during a raid by Jaipur police on a factory. Two people were detained after the raid.

The development comes as an India Today sting operation exposed adulteration in ghee being manufactured in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, a major hub for ghee manufacturing.

The team found out that adulterated ghee was packaged in branded containers and sold to unsuspecting customers across the country. The suppliers revealed that the product was a combination of hydrogenated vegetable oil and refined oil. Moreover, fragrance is added to mimic the aroma of pure desi ghee.

Following India Today's operation, raids were conducted on godowns of ghee in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. The Hathras administration also ordered the formation of a four-member committee to look into the matter.