Palanpur, February 26 – In a major crackdown on food adulteration, authorities in Gujarat have seized 4,000 kg of suspected adulterated ghee worth ₹17.5 lakh from Shri Navkar Dairy Products, a firm operating in an industrial area in Deesa, Banaskantha district. Officials revealed that the contaminated ghee was intended for sale in Rajasthan, particularly during festival seasons.
The Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Authority (FDCA) confirmed that the firm had previously been issued multiple notices for violating the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011. Following non-compliance, its license was revoked on September 4 last year. However, during a surprise inspection on Tuesday, authorities discovered that the firm continued production despite its canceled license.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the ghee was adulterated with soybean and interesterified vegetable fat, raising serious health concerns. Officials collected 11 samples of different ghee brands from the premises and sent them for laboratory testing. The FDCA disclosed that the ghee was produced at night and was being prepared for transport to Rajasthan for sale during festivals.
This is not the first time Shri Navkar Dairy Products has been caught in food safety violations. The firm was fined ₹1.25 lakh for adulterating edible oil and ₹25,000 in a criminal case for adding artificial coloring to chili powder.
With the seized material currently under evaluation, authorities have assured stringent legal action against the violators upon receiving the final test results.
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