Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) recently raided Dwarkesh Dairy Products in Ahmedabad. He seized 1,500 kg of contaminated cheese and raw materials used for its production. The special squad of FDCA of Gandhinagar conducted raids on February 4, 2025. They were working on a confidential tip-off. During the operation, the authorities found adulterants including palm oil and industrial-grade acetic acid, which were allegedly used in the manufacturing process. Officials collected three samples from the site for further testing, while the remaining stock-value was seized in public health interest for Rs 3.15 lakh. According to FDCA, the government is committed to ensure safe and clean food for the citizens of Gujarat.
Officials confirmed that strict legal action would be taken against individuals or businesses involved in food adulteration or forgery. Further investigation is underway to determine the limit of adulteration and its potential health risks.
Between April and September 2024, officials in Gujarat tested 4,316 food samples, with 360 (about 8.3 percent) failed to meet the security standards. In the last three years, the state failed to have quality inspections in the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 respectively. In a 15-day drive held in October 2024, Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) seized 233 tonnes of suspected food products in Gujarat.
Earlier in the year, in April 2024, FDCA officials seized more than 60,000 kg adulterated spices including chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and pickle masala. Despite these enforcement efforts, the rate of legal action against criminals appears limited. Over the last three years, out of 41,509 food samples, only 4,506 civil complaints and 168 criminal cases were filed, resulting in the prosecution rate of only 11.2 percent.
A survey of pure earth highlighted concerns about lead contamination for food in Gujarat. The study found that 95 percent of metal food samples and 77 percent of ceramic food samples were higher than the reference level for lead materials. In contrast, samples of toys, cosmetics, plastic food utensils, spices, and staples dried foods were rarely found in the lead.
Somewhere else in the country, several food security inspections are being done by a task force in different parts of Telangana. In the last few months, click here to read about one of its most recent raids.
