Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Diwali is synonymous with sweets and festive treats. However, this season also brings a spike in the sale of potentially harmful and substandard food products. In a major crackdown, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has seized over 12,420 kilograms of food items, with an estimated value of ₹19.33 lakh. Laboratory test reports for these seized items are still pending.
Raids were conducted at various establishments across the city, during which more than 25 food samples were collected, including paneer, cheese analog, refined oil, desi ghee, sweets, mawa (khoya), besan (gram flour), spices, and other Diwali sweets. Initial inspections raised suspicions about adulteration and poor quality. All samples have been sent to laboratories for detailed analysis.
Suspected substandard quality
Several items were found to be of inferior quality or suspected to be adulterated. Particularly, there are concerns about palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and cow ghee possibly containing low-grade substances. The lab results are awaited.
Seized items worth lakhs
Palm Oil: 10,498 kg (Value: ₹14.54 lakh)
Soybean Oil: Approx. 8,600 kg (Value: ₹14.4 lakh)
Cow Ghee: 364 kg (Value: ₹2.89 lakh)
Sweets: Hundreds of kilos of assorted samples
In total, stocks worth lakhs of rupees have been seized by the authorities.
Inspection Team
The operation was carried out under the guidance of joint commissioner Dayanand Patil and assistant commissioner Vivek Patil, and involved food safety officers P S Kuchekar, M F Siddiqui, P P Surse, V T Jadhavar, S T Jadhavar, J B Jadhavar, and S A Kedar.
Public Safety Advisory
Joint Commissioner (FDA) Dayanand Patil said,“While buying festive sweets and food items, always choose branded, packaged, and licensed products. Avoid unpacked or suspicious-looking items, especially oils and sweets.”