The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on 16 September 2026 suspended with immediate effect the licence of Ganesh Products Private Limited after a surprise inspection of its food manufacturing premises uncovered severe hygiene violations, pest infestations, and the presence of industrial-grade chemicals — including a fabric whitener and an industrial-grade bleaching agent — at a site producing paneer for public consumption.

What Inspectors Found Inside the Premises

The inspection revealed the facility to be in a deeply unsanitary state. Significant accumulation of dirt, soil, dark matter, algae, and fungal growth was recorded across processing and storage areas, alongside live and dead cockroaches, rodents, flies, and cobwebs. Inspectors noted rusting on most production containers and reported the presence of unwanted material deposited on equipment.

Finished-product storage was found to be critically inadequate — products were stacked improperly, placed close to walls, and stored in areas with insufficient ventilation. Expired and unlabelled food materials were found alongside finished goods, and waste, rejected lots, old stock, and scrap material had accumulated in food-handling zones.

Pest infestation extended to both finished-product and packaging-material storage areas. Dead mice, cockroaches, and flies were observed. Rodent-control boxes were absent, and pest-control equipment was reportedly non-functional at the time of the inspection.

Industrial Chemicals and Adulteration Concerns

Among the most alarming findings, inspectors detected Milk Powder, Fabric Whitener, Industrial-grade Bleaching Agent, Refined Palm Oil, Soybean, and Poster White Colour on the premises. The presence of non-food industrial chemicals at a dairy manufacturing unit has raised serious adulteration concerns, though laboratory analyses of the four paneer samples collected from the inspected units are pending and no formal adulteration finding has yet been declared.

The inspection covered three operational paneer manufacturing units at the main site. Notably, no food business operator, owner, manager, or authorised representative was present when inspectors arrived. Neither an FSSAI registration certificate nor any signboard was displayed at the facility.

7,600 kg of Paneer Destroyed on the Spot

Authorities found approximately 7,600 kg of paneer stored under what the FSSAI described as grossly unhygienic and insanitary conditions — in soiled containers on unclean platforms. The entire quantity was destroyed by the administration at the spot to prevent it from re-entering the food supply chain. A subsequent inspection was also carried out at another paneer manufacturing unit at Village Nai, from which additional samples were collected.

Records and Infrastructure Also Found Deficient

Beyond the physical violations, several mandatory food safety and quality-management records and procedures were found to be missing. These included mock recall records, a jewellery policy, consumer complaint records, internal training records, and both internal and external audit records. Appropriate testing records for control samples — required to be maintained for one year or the shelf life of the product — were not available.

Infrastructure deficiencies included flaking paint, dampness, broken floor tiles, and damaged corners throughout the premises. Proper handwashing facilities were also absent.

Licence Suspended Until Further Orders

In view of the cumulative findings, FSSAI stated that the serious deficiencies had the potential to compromise food safety and public health, and that food manufactured under such conditions could render products unsafe for consumption. The licence of Ganesh Products Private Limited stands suspended forthwith in the interest of public health and will remain so until further orders. Four paneer samples collected across the inspected units have been sent for laboratory analysis, and the outcome of those tests could determine further regulatory or legal action.