Hyderabad's Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST), operating under the Hyderabad Police, conducted a sweeping enforcement drive on 18 August across 130 establishments in the city, seizing 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee, raw materials, and hazardous chemical additives. The operation, carried out in coordination with the Food Safety Department, targeted illicit ghee manufacturing and commercial selling units across the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate limits.

Scale of the Operation

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar announced the findings at a media conference on Tuesday, describing the drive as a 'massive, synchronised special enforcement action.' Joint enforcement teams conducted simultaneous inspections at 39 ghee manufacturing units and 91 ghee-selling outlets, acting on credible intelligence and tip-offs received from the public.

The seized stock includes 25.5 tonnes of adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, 1,200 litres of palm oil, 600 litres of Vanaspati (Dalda), six bottles of artificial ghee flavours, and 30 kg of starch. All seized material has been formally handed over to the Food Safety Authorities for further legal action.

How the Adulteration Was Carried Out

Investigators found that manufacturers were allegedly blending non-milk ingredients — including palm oil, Dalda, skimmed milk powder (0% milk fat), and starch — with artificial ghee flavour to replicate the taste, aroma, and appearance of genuine ghee. Adulteration levels reportedly ranged from approximately 10% to 40%, with products selectively diverted to different buyers based on the degree of adulteration.

The milk cream used in the manufacturing process was reportedly sourced from suppliers across Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The finished product was manufactured at low cost using cheaper substitute ingredients and sold at prices comparable to genuine ghee, generating substantial illegal profits, according to Commissioner Sajjanar.

Deceptive Packaging and Labelling Violations

The adulterated products were packed in transparent covers and falsely marketed under brand names such as '100% Pure Ghee', 'Premium Ghee', 'Farm Fresh Ghee', and 'Natural Ghee'. Critically, none of the packaging carried mandatory details including batch or lot numbers, FSSAI licence information, Certificate of Analysis (COA), or dates of manufacture and expiry — clear violations of food safety regulations.

Public Health Risk and Distribution Network

According to Commissioner Sajjanar, the adulterated ghee was reportedly distributed across Telangana and neighbouring states, supplied to dairy shops, sweet shops, hotels, star hotels, tiffin centres, bakeries, caterers, and even Ayurvedic medicine shops. The reach of the network underscores the breadth of the public health risk. Food safety inspectors collected statutory samples on the spot for comprehensive laboratory analysis.

This crackdown is among the largest single food adulteration seizures recorded in Hyderabad in recent years, and authorities have indicated that investigations into the supply chain and procurement networks are ongoing.