3,000 kg of insect-infested cashews seized from unlicensed unit in Kathwada GIDC

Amdavad Municipal Corporation’s Food Department officials have seized around 3,000 kilograms of insect-infested cashews from an unlicensed processing unit in Kathwada GIDC and initiated legal action.

The inspection was carried out at Abhinandan Trading, a cashew processing unit operating from Shed Nos A-17 and A-18 at Dev Island Estate, Kathwada GIDC. The unit, owned by Chirag Thakkar, was found processing second-grade cashews, with broken cashew pieces being sold in the market and cashew powder supplied for cattle feed.

During inspection, a large number of insects were found in the cashew stock. Officials also found that the unit did not possess a valid licence under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act. The entire stock was seized, and the Food Department said court proceedings will be initiated against the unit.

In a parallel action, food samples collected from different parts of Ahmedabad were declared substandard. These included groundnut oil from a traditional oil-pressing shop at Dhanlaxmi Complex in Vejalpur, bottled drinking water from Shilp Epitome on Sindhubhavan Road in Thaltej, water used for pani puri from a food outlet at Shakti Square in Vastrapur, and khaman samples collected from a residence in the Gujarat Housing Board area of Chandkheda.

The Food Department has initiated further legal proceedings in all cases where samples failed to meet prescribed quality standards.