Fake Silver Foil Seized from Ahmedabad Sweets and Bakery Supply Chain, Shop Sealed

AHMEDABAD — In a major crackdown against food adulteration ahead of the festive rush, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) Health Food Department has unmasked a widespread racket selling hazardous fake silver foil (vark) used commonly on sweets, pan, and bakery products. Officials suspect the counterfeit foil, seized during a raid in the bustling Kalupur market, is actually toxic aluminium.

The unit was immediately sealed in the interest of public health after food safety officers seized 170 packets of spurious silver foil valued at ₹42,500.

Biscuit Stall Rapid Test Triggers Multi-Storey Raid

The health hazard first came to light during a routine inspection at a mobile food stall in the Memnagar-Memco belt. AMC food safety inspectors conducted on-the-spot rapid testing on silver-coated biscuits being sold to unsuspecting commuters. When the field test kit flagged the silver foil as counterfeit, investigators immediately traced the vendor’s supply chain back to a wholesale distribution unit in Kalupur.

Executing a decoy operation, food safety officials deployed a dummy customer to purchase silver foil directly from the Kalupur establishment. A second rapid test on-site confirmed that the batch was completely fake. While laboratory analysis will determine the exact metallic composition, officials suspect the product is cheap aluminium leaf, which poses severe long-term health risks if consumed.

Thousands of Counterfeit Packs Confiscated

Inside the Kalupur outlet, inspectors uncovered a massive stock of suspect foil. Each seized packet contained 10 leaves sold at ₹25 per leaf (₹250 per pack). Officials confiscated 170 packs of the fake silver vark on the spot.

Intriguingly, the same unit was also trading in genuine gold foil, priced at ₹1,000 per 10-leaf pack (₹100 per leaf). Samples of both the suspect silver foil and the gold leaf have been dispatched to the state public health laboratory for comprehensive chemical testing.

Wholesalers Refuse Bills as Supply Chain Probe Expands

The investigation has hit a critical phase as the Food Business Operator (FBO) running the Kalupur unit failed to produce mandatory purchase-and-sale invoices or customer registers. The absence of proper billing suggests an illicit supply chain operating under the radar to distribute industrial-grade foil to local sweet shops and bakeries across Ahmedabad.

Health authorities are currently probing the origin of the counterfeit stock and tracing retail sweet vendors who purchased batches from the distributor. AMC officials stated that strict legal action and prosecution will follow once the official laboratory findings are released.