Amid growing concerns over the rise in adulterated food products across India, the Gujarat Food Safety Department conducted a major raid in Unjha, exposing serious violations of food safety standards. On Friday, May 22, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shared a post on Instagram, revealing that it had discovered adulterated fennel seeds at a factory.
During the targeted enforcement raid at Ganapati Cleaning Factory in Unjha, officials discovered that the operator was running the unit not only without a valid FSSAI licence, which is mandatory for all food-related businesses operating in India, but also by mixing an inedible green colour with fennel seeds to enhance their appearance before being sold to consumers.
“The Gujarat Food Safety Department conducted a targeted enforcement raid at Ganapati Cleaning Factory in Unjha, uncovering severe violations of public health standards. The Food Business Operator was found operating entirely without an FSSAI license and allegedly blending a non-edible green chemical dye into food products,” the post stated.
Officials seized more than 3,500 kilograms of adulterated fennel seeds from the factory, along with nearly 140 kilograms of the chemical colouring agent used in the process. FSSAI added, “Samples have been sent for immediate laboratory testing.”
In the video shared in the post, an official was seen picking up a handful of fennel seeds that left a tinge of green colour on his hand after he rubbed them. The clip also showed the green colour being mixed with a large batch of fennel seeds inside the factory.
Further in the post, the food regulator said, “Stringent measures and legal actions will continue against any operators compromising consumer safety and violating the Food Safety and Standards Act.”
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This raid comes after FSSAI stepped up its enforcement action against sweet shops near the famous Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan during the ongoing Purushottam Mas. Officials found several shops storing and selling sweets under open, unhygienic conditions. Around 200 kilograms of pedas were reportedly stored in contaminated plastic bags in unsanitary surroundings. Following the raid, adulterated sweets were destroyed on the spot by shopkeepers in the presence of officials.