40,000 Kg of Suspicious Mawa Seized in Ahmedabad Ahead of Diwali; Lab Tests to Determine Quality

Ahmedabad’s food safety concerns have resurfaced ahead of Diwali after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Food Department seized 40,000 kg of suspicious mawa from a cold storage facility in Gomtipur.

The milk solids, commonly used to prepare Indian sweets, were reportedly linked to a confectionery manufacturing firm named Radhika Food Products. Officials found that the stock did not carry batch numbers or expiry dates, prompting them to collect samples and send them to a central laboratory for testing.

The seizure comes amid heightened demand for sweets during the festive season and follows earlier recoveries of suspected adulterated paneer and counterfeit tomato sauce in the city. However, the quality of the seized mawa has not yet been established, and laboratory results will determine whether it is adulterated.

Mawa Stock Found Without Batch Numbers or Expiry Dates

Tejas Shah, an official from the AMC Food Department, said inspections were being conducted at various locations across Ahmedabad ahead of Diwali.

During one such inspection, officials discovered the suspicious stock at a cold storage facility in Gomtipur. The absence of batch numbers and expiry dates raised concerns about the product’s traceability and prompted further examination.

Samples have been sent to a central laboratory, and officials are awaiting the report before drawing conclusions about the product’s quality.

₹60.75 Lakh Worth of Mava Stock Withheld from Sale Over Missing Batch and Expiry Details

During the inspection, officials found that around 1.02 lakh kg of mava belonging to approximately 60 different vendors had been stored at a cold storage facility in Gomtipur. Around 80% of the total stock belonged to 15 major vendors.

Samples were collected for testing from the stock of six vendors: Hasmukhbhai Mavawala, Tulsi Mava Centre, Rajwadi Sweet (Bajrangi), Indian Dessert (Nilkanth), Purohit Mavawala and S.K. Mavawala.

The cold storage also contained 1,380 bags of 30 kg each, bearing the names Rajwadi Sweet (Bajrangi) and Indian Dessert (Nilkanth), supplied by Radhika Food Products. As the bags did not carry batch numbers or expiry dates, the entire stock was withheld from sale. Its estimated market value is ₹60.75 lakh.

Earlier Seizures of Paneer and Sauce Raise Concerns

The latest seizure follows previous cases in which authorities recovered large quantities of suspected spurious paneer and counterfeit tomato sauce in Ahmedabad.

The discovery of another substantial stock of a food ingredient ahead of the festive rush has renewed questions about food safety monitoring and the supply chain for products used in sweets and other popular preparations.

With mawa widely used in festive delicacies, the laboratory findings will be crucial in establishing whether the seized stock was safe for consumption.

Food Safety Under Scrutiny Ahead of Diwali

The AMC Food Department is continuing its inspections as demand for sweets and other food products rises ahead of Diwali.

For now, the 40,000 kg stock remains suspicious because of the missing batch and expiry details. No conclusion on adulteration can be drawn until the laboratory report is available.