2 weeks ago
Hyderabad Police Seize 36 Tonnes in Adulterated Ghee Crackdown
Police and food-safety officers inspected places that made or sold ghee in Hyderabad.
They checked 130 establishments and seized about 36 tonnes of ghee and other materials.
Police say some manufacturers used cheap oils, powders, starch and artificial flavours instead of enough real milk fat.
These mixtures were made to look, smell and taste like genuine ghee.
Some packages were labelled as pure or premium ghee but reportedly lacked important information such as licence and expiry details.
The products were allegedly sold to restaurants, sweet shops, hotels and religious-use outlets.
Officials collected samples for laboratory testing and handed the seized material to the Food Safety Department.
Police advised consumers to buy dairy products from licensed vendors and avoid unusually cheap or unbranded ghee.
H-FAST and the Food Safety Department inspected 130 Hyderabad establishments, including 39 manufacturing units and 91 selling outlets.
Authorities seized about 36 tonnes of material, including 25.5 tonnes of alleged adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, oils, starch and artificial flavours.
Police alleged that manufacturers used palm oil, vanaspati, skimmed milk powder, starch and chemicals to imitate genuine ghee.
The products were reportedly sold under labels such as “100% Pure Ghee,” “Premium Ghee,” “Farm Fresh Ghee” and “Natural Ghee.”
Police said the products were supplied to restaurants, sweet shops, hotels, bakeries, caterers, Ayurvedic shops and pooja-ghee outlets across Telangana and neighbouring states.
- Who
- Hyderabad City Police, the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team, the Food Safety Department, Commissioner V C Sajjanar and Task Force DCP Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath.
- What
- Authorities seized about 36 tonnes of alleged adulterated ghee, raw materials and chemical additives during inspections of suspected manufacturing and selling units.
- Where
- Across 130 establishments in Hyderabad, with the alleged products reportedly distributed across Telangana and neighbouring states.
- When
- Tuesday, August 18; the articles do not consistently specify the year.
- Why
- The enforcement drive followed public tip-offs and intelligence inputs and targeted the alleged manufacture and sale of synthetic or adulterated ghee.
Police and Enforcement Claims
Testing and Legal Verification
Nature of the seized products
Police and Enforcement Claims
Police alleged that manufacturers used palm oil, vanaspati, skimmed milk powder, starch and artificial flavours to produce synthetic ghee, with some products containing no milk fat.
Testing and Legal Verification
The seized stock and statutory samples were handed to the Food Safety Department, and laboratory analysis was cited as necessary to establish the precise nature and extent of adulteration.
Extent of testing
Police and Enforcement Claims
One report said advanced tests showed that more than 99% of samples from the 39 manufacturing units failed.
Testing and Legal Verification
Other reports described the samples as still awaiting comprehensive laboratory analysis, so the final findings were not presented consistently across the reports.
Health effects
Police and Enforcement Claims
Officials warned that refined oils, high trans fats and unauthorised additives could contribute to cardiovascular, digestive, liver, kidney, skin or metabolic problems.
Testing and Legal Verification
The articles present these as potential risks; they do not report confirmed health effects among consumers or a final medical assessment of the seized products.
Key facts
- Establishments inspected
- 130 total: 39 ghee manufacturing units and 91 selling outlets
- Material seized
- About 36 tonnes in total
- Major seized items
- 25.5 tonnes adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes cream, 1,200 litres palm oil, 600 litres vanaspati, 30 kg starch and six bottles of artificial ghee flavours
- Reported adulteration levels
- Approximately 10% to 40%
- Reported retail prices
- The alleged adulterated product was reportedly sold for about ₹600–₹700 per litre, compared with approximately ₹1,000–₹1,500 for genuine ghee
- Reported labelling violations
- Some packs allegedly lacked batch or lot numbers, FSSAI licence details, Certificate of Analysis, manufacturing or packing dates, and expiry or use-by dates
- Reported supply chain
- Cream was allegedly sourced from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; products were reportedly distributed across Telangana and neighbouring states
Quotes
Task Force Deputy Commissioner of Police Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team
“"Without milk, they are making ghee. They use palm oil, vanaspati, skimmed milk powder, starch and artificial flavours and then sell it in the market in the name of natural ghee, cow ghee and premium ghee."”
CNBC TV 18
“"This adulterated mixture was deceptively packaged, branded, and distributed to unsuspecting consumers under the guise of ‘Pure Desi Ghee’, posing grave health risks to the public."”
theprint.in
Sources
36 Tonnes Adulterated Ghee Seized In Major Crackdown In Hyderabad
Hyderabad: 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee, raw material seized
No milk, no traditional process: Ghee made with palm oil, vanaspati and chemicals, Hyderabad Police seize 36 tonnes
Fake ghee racket busted! Hyderabad police seize 25.5 tonnes of adulterated ghee, 1,200 litres of palm oil
36 tonnes of adulterated ghee seized in Hyderabad
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