Diwali food safety crackdown: FSSAI seizes 3,280 tonnes of paneer, ghee, milk and sweets worth ₹82 crore across India

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has seized nearly 3,280 tonnes of banned and non-compliant food products across the country during its festive-season inspection drive. The seized food items, including paneer, ghee, milk and sweets, were worth around ₹82 crore, PTI reported on Saturday.

The nationwide drive began on September 1 and covered more than 56,400 food establishments as authorities stepped up checks to prevent food adulteration and protect consumers during the festive season.

As part of the inspections, FSSAI cancelled 52 licences and suspended more than 1,100 licences over food safety violations. More than 300 food establishments were also sealed.

The food safety authority also issued over 10,000 improvement notices to food business operators found to have failed to meet food safety standards.

The seized products included commonly consumed food items such as paneer, ghee, milk and sweets. Together, the seized products were valued at around ₹82 crore.

The inspections were carried out as part of the authority's efforts to check food safety violations during the festive season, when demand for milk products, sweets and other food items rises.

FSSAI said the drive was aimed at preventing food adulteration and ensuring the safety of consumers.

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The wider festive-season food safety crackdown has also seen action against several named food businesses.

FSSAI took action against CG Foods India, the maker of Wai Wai noodles, at its Ajmer manufacturing unit, where officials seized more than 32,000 kg of stock and ordered production of certain Veg Bhujia products to stop following alleged hygiene and licensing violations.

In Delhi, the licence of Seven Seas Hospitality Pvt Ltd, associated with Hotel Seven Seas in Rohini, was suspended following an inspection that found issues including fungus-covered vegetables, rotten food items and blackened cooking oil. Around 74 kg/litres of non-compliant food was destroyed at the premises.

In Maharashtra, the state Food and Drug Administration also took action against food businesses linked to quick-commerce companies Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd, which operates Blinkit, and Zepto Ltd, as part of a special inspection drive ahead of Diwali.

The licences of 105 food businesses were suspended, while food products worth ₹1.35 crore were seized and seven establishments were ordered to stop operations.

Separately, the Maharashtra FDA suspended the licence of a super-distributor after seizing food articles worth more than ₹9 crore, including Patanjali cow ghee, over suspected misbranding and adulteration. The action was against the distributor and not against Patanjali itself.