Food safety officials seized around 35,000 litres of ghee and sealed a manufacturing and packaging factory in Jaipur on Tuesday over suspected adulteration and other irregularities, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Samples of the ghee and a suspected flavouring substance recovered from the premises have been sent for laboratory testing.A food safety team inspected the Himalaya Dairy Products factory as part of the Rajasthan government's 'Shuddh Aahar-Milawat Par Vaar' campaign against food adulteration.During the inspection, officials found ghee being packed under seven brand names: Rajasthan Saras, Dairy Brothers, Shri Kiran Saras, Matula, Choice Dairy, Raghu Shri and Ganak. The ghee was stored in packages ranging from 200 ml to 15 litres, while thousands of litres were kept in large storage silos.Officials told PTI that a suspicious flavouring substance was also recovered from the premises.
It had allegedly been concealed under a label identifying it as a cleaning chemical. The department is examining whether artificial flavouring agents were used in the ghee and whether the product was adulterated.
Officials also said the factory's food licence was not displayed on the premises during the inspection.Following the discovery of the suspected irregularities, the entire factory, including its manufacturing and packaging units, was sealed.In a separate operation early on Tuesday, food safety teams inspected four dairy and mawa manufacturing units in the Morija and Cheethwadi areas of Jaipur district.Among the units inspected were Shakar Dula Mawa Paneer Bhandar, AKD Enterprises and SDS Mawa Paneer.Samples of milk and mawa were collected from the units and sent for laboratory testing.The action resulted in the seizure of around 35,000 litres of ghee and the sealing of the Jaipur factory, while laboratory reports are awaited on samples collected during both operations.- Ends