FDA seizes Rs 20.20 lakh of Patanjali cow ghee in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on suspected adulteration

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized a large stock of Patanjali Ayurved cow ghee. A total of 2,279.7 litres of ghee, valued at Rs 20.20 lakh, was taken from a Patanjali super distributor in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The FDA suspects misbranding and adulteration in the ghee. In all, 4,032 units were seized.

The action was taken against M/s Divya Mahavitarak, Patanjali Ayurved's super distributor in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The seized goods fall into two lots. The first has 2,998 units holding 1,349.1 litres of ghee, valued at Rs 12.29 lakh. The second has 1,034 units holding 930.6 litres, valued at Rs 7.91 lakh. According to the FDA, the products were prima facie found to violate provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The allegations of misbranding and adulteration are yet to go through regulatory examination, and further proceedings are pending. No final conclusion can therefore be drawn. The seizure nonetheless raises questions about how robust quality control is in the food supply chain and what safeguards exist to protect consumers from goods that do not meet the rules.

The seizure is part of an FDA drive run across the state during the festival season. In this drive, about 3.53 lakh kg of food items, with an estimated value of Rs 9.01 crore, were seized from 114 establishments in seven divisions. Demand for items such as ghee, edible oil and sweets rises sharply during festivals, which is why the checks matter.

The licences and registrations of 19 food business operators were also suspended in the drive. These include units making namkeen, sweets and spices in the Mumbai, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions. The establishments are alleged to have been operating with serious hygiene lapses: food was not stored properly, pest control was inadequate, the premises were dirty, there were no cleaning records and necessary documents were not maintained. The FDA said these violate the prescribed conditions of food safety.

Nagpur was also part of the drive. In the Nagpur, Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions, 34 hotels, restaurants and dhabas were inspected. Improvement notices were issued to 29 establishments where lapses in food safety and hygiene were found. However, the FDA statement did not say which establishments in Nagpur were inspected, nor whether any Patanjali goods were seized in the Nagpur division. The seizure of Patanjali ghee relates only to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Separately, between October 28 and 31, the FDA seized banned food items worth Rs 79.40 lakh from 17 establishments. This action led to 13 FIRs, 16 arrests, the sealing of seven establishments and the seizure of six vehicles.

Other major seizures include 1,44,218 kg of edible oil from Avenue Supermarts Limited in Bhiwandi, Thane district. In Satara, 20,560 kg of rice, pulses, jaggery and other food items was seized from Amin Traders. Edible oil was also seized from Swati Oil Mills in Satara and S G Traders in Solapur.

The appearance of a nationally known brand such as Patanjali makes the matter more significant. The FDA has voiced suspicion of misbranding and adulteration, but the due process must be completed to determine whether the product complies with the rules. The FDA reiterated that the action is being taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the rules framed under it, so that food reaching consumers meets the prescribed standards of safety and quality.