UP FSDA seizes adulterated khoya, collects 28 samples ahead of festive season
Synopsis
With festivals approaching, UP's food safety agency uncovered a disturbing picture inside khoya units — hydrogen peroxide, industrial chemicals, and synthetic fats being blended into milk sweets. Over 4.30 quintals of adulterated khoya was destroyed, an FIR lodged, and three operators face registration suspension — a signal that enforcement this festive season is more aggressive than usual.
Key Takeaways
The FSDA conducted raids across 24+ locations in Uttar Pradesh on 23 August , ahead of the festive season.
28 food samples were collected for laboratory testing; food items and adulterants worth ₹1.50 lakh were seized or destroyed.
Approximately 4.30 quintals of khoya valued at ₹1.07 lakh was destroyed for being stored in unhygienic conditions.
Adulterants found included hydrogen peroxide , skimmed milk powder (SMP) , refined soybean oil , vanaspati , and Safolite .
An FIR was lodged at Rasulabad police station under Sections 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita .
Food registrations of three business operators face suspension or cancellation proceedings.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) of Uttar Pradesh conducted a sweeping crackdown on food adulteration on Sunday, 23 August, seizing large quantities of adulterated khoya (solidified milk) and collecting 28 food samples for laboratory testing across multiple districts, including Kanpur Dehat and Kanpur Nagar. The drive, launched ahead of the festive season, resulted in the destruction of food items and adulterants worth approximately ₹1.50 lakh.
Scale of the Operation
More than two dozen FSDA teams fanned out across over 24 locations in Uttar Pradesh, targeting khoya manufacturing units — a product in high demand during festivals such as Janmashtami and Diwali. In addition to the 28 samples collected, approximately 4.30 quintals of khoya valued at an estimated ₹1.07 lakh was destroyed on the spot after being found stored in unhygienic and unsanitary conditions.
What Inspectors Found
At a khoya manufacturing unit in Badshahpur village, inspectors discovered a cream-separating machine, khoya furnaces, skimmed milk powder (SMP), and hydrogen peroxide — chemicals with no legitimate role in khoya production. On the premises, teams seized 175 packets of SMP (packed in seven sacks) and approximately 15 litres of hydrogen peroxide intended for mixing into food products. Around 100 kilograms of contaminated khoya was destroyed at the site.
At a separate unit in Bhola Nagar, Jhinjhak, inspectors found 10 litres of refined soybean oil, 10 packets of SMP, and approximately 32 kilograms of prepared khoya. The unit operator reportedly admitted to producing khoya using refined oil, vanaspati (hydrogenated vegetable oil), and SMP — all prohibited adulterants. The 32 kilograms of khoya and 10 litres of refined oil were destroyed on the spot, and the unit's food registration was suspended.
A third unit in Badshahpur was found to contain 'Safolite', a chemical used in khoya production, along with three large cooking furnaces. Proceedings were initiated to cancel that unit's food registration as well.
Legal Action Taken
Police registered a case at Rasulabad police station under Sections 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against an individual for using adulterants in food products. An FIR was also lodged in a separate case in Kanpur Dehat. Proceedings were initiated to suspend the food registrations of three food business operators found violating safety norms.
Why This Matters
Adulteration of khoya surges ahead of India's festive calendar, when demand for milk-based sweets peaks sharply. The use of hydrogen peroxide, SMP, synthetic fats, and industrial chemicals in khoya not only defrauds consumers but poses serious health risks. This is the latest in a series of pre-festival enforcement campaigns by the FSDA, which has historically intensified inspections in the weeks leading up to major Hindu festivals. Notably, the discovery of hydrogen peroxide — a bleaching and preserving agent — in khoya units underscores the sophistication of adulteration methods that enforcement agencies are now confronting.
With samples sent for laboratory analysis, the results are expected to determine whether further criminal proceedings will follow against additional operators.
Point of View
Yet the discovery of hydrogen peroxide and industrial chemicals inside active manufacturing units suggests that deterrence remains weak. The real accountability gap is not in detection — FSDA teams clearly found what they were looking for — but in follow-through: FIRs are filed, registrations suspended, but convictions are rare and operators often resume under different licences. Until criminal proceedings result in meaningful penalties, these raids risk functioning as theatre rather than structural reform of a supply chain that feeds millions during India's most commercially intensive festival period.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the UP FSDA find during its pre-festival crackdown?
Inspectors found hydrogen peroxide, skimmed milk powder, refined soybean oil, vanaspati, and a chemical called Safolite being used to adulterate khoya at multiple manufacturing units in Kanpur Dehat and Kanpur Nagar. Over 4.30 quintals of adulterated khoya was destroyed on the spot.
How many food samples were collected and where?
A total of 28 food samples were collected for laboratory testing from more than 24 locations across Uttar Pradesh, including Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Badshahpur village, and Bhola Nagar in Jhinjhak.
What legal action was taken against the adulterators?
Police registered an FIR at Rasulabad police station under Sections 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A separate FIR was lodged in Kanpur Dehat, and proceedings were initiated to suspend or cancel the food registrations of three business operators.
Why is khoya adulteration a concern during the festive season?
Khoya is a key ingredient in milk-based sweets whose demand spikes sharply ahead of festivals such as Janmashtami and Diwali. Adulterants like hydrogen peroxide, synthetic fats, and industrial chemicals not only defraud consumers but can pose serious health risks, making pre-festival enforcement particularly critical.
What happens next after the samples are collected?
The 28 food samples and seized adulterants — including SMP and hydrogen peroxide — have been sent for laboratory analysis. Results are expected to determine whether additional criminal proceedings will be initiated against more operators beyond those already facing registration suspension.
