The Rajkot Municipal Corporation's (RMC) Food Department destroyed approximately 2,601 kg of stale and inedible food products across 48 establishments during a targeted surveillance drive against food adulteration and unhygienic practices, the civic body announced on Tuesday, 11 August. Eight outlets were served notices over storage violations, missing food licences, and poor hygiene, while administrative charges totalling ₹8,500 were collected.

Key Actions at Major Establishments

The largest single seizure took place at Shrinathji Trading on Gondal Road, where officials had previously collected samples and placed stock in abeyance. The food business operator acknowledged that approximately 2,570 kg of red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander-cumin powder were adulterated and artificially coloured. The entire stock was subsequently destroyed using vehicles from the corporation's Solid Waste Management Department.

At Jai Ganesh Enterprise — operating as Sutto Ji Bhar Ke at West Gate Complex near Raiya Chowkdi — eight packets of expired bread and four burger bases were destroyed, with a ₹500 administrative charge levied. At Agreetable Inco. Thakor Dwar in Shastrinagar, 8 kg of expired cereal products were destroyed and a ₹3,000 charge imposed, alongside a hygiene and storage notice.

At Rolito Wraps & More in West Gate Complex, officials destroyed eight packets of expired liquid cheese, 15 kg of unspecified material, three packets of bread, and two burger bases, collecting a ₹5,000 administrative charge — the highest levied in this drive. Jalaram Chinese & Punjabi had 2 kg of stale bread destroyed and received a licence-related notice.

Licence Notices and Wider Inspections

Licence-related notices were issued to several outlets in the Kothariya area, including Radhe Vadapav, Ravi Madras Cafe, Thakar Dalpakwan, Dil Khush Pani Puri, Ghanshyam Chhole Bhature, Balaji Chhole Bhature, Jai Bajrang Restaurant, and Surya Dosa. Inspections at West Gate Complex also covered branded chains including Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Amritsari Haveli, Pizza Galleria, and Burgernomics, as well as outlets along the Maldhari Fatak–Sai Baba Circle stretch.

Separate checks were conducted at seven establishments dealing in analogue dairy products, covering Tirth Marketing, Balaji Marketing, Om Food Products, Shiv Shakti Agency, Dariyalal Trading, Patel Agency, and Heritage Marketing.

Court Conviction from 2017 Sample

The RMC also highlighted a judicial outcome stemming from a red chilli powder sample collected as far back as 2017. The sample was declared both unsafe and substandard after laboratory analysis detected prohibited colour and non-permitted oil. A Municipal Court sentenced proprietor Manharlal Dayalal Sata to one month's simple imprisonment and a ₹50,000 fine for the unsafe food offence, with an additional month's imprisonment if the fine remained unpaid. A further total fine of ₹1.5 lakh was ordered for substandard food and related violations.

What This Means for Food Safety in Rajkot

The drive underscores persistent gaps in food safety compliance across Rajkot's retail and street-food ecosystem — from branded outlets to small vendors. The conviction from a seven-year-old sample signals that the RMC is willing to pursue cases through to judicial conclusion, a signal that critics of lax enforcement will note. With spice adulteration — particularly in chilli and turmeric powders — a recurring national concern flagged by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Rajkot's action fits into a broader pattern of municipal bodies stepping up inspections under regulatory pressure. Further drives are likely as the civic body continues its surveillance mandate.