FDCA, Rajkot

In a major bust of adulterated food items, the Rajkot Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) raided Rajwadi Dairy Products near Saran Bridge in the city’s Modhawali area on July 4, and seized around 1,700 kg of dairy products and vegetable oil, worth around ₹9 lakh, of which around ₹3.8 lakh worth of products were destroyed.

The raid was conducted on a tip-off received by the FDCA, Gandhinagar, which suggested suspicious cheese manufacturing in Rajkot.

Since the dairy holds a licence from the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) as a wholesaler for dairy products and a licence for the dairy unit, it was found that the paneer and cream manufacturing was being carried out without permission.

In the investigation, there was a strong suspicion of adulteration of vegetable oil in cheese, cream, milk, and the production was found to be conducted in unhygienic conditions.

A total of four samples of milk, cheese, cream, and vegetable oil were taken from the premises in presence of the firm owners, and the remaining quantity of products was seized.

Paneer (1,310 kg) and milk (2,000 litres), whose value is estimated to be more than ₹3.80 lakh, were voluntarily destroyed by the trader.

All the samples have been taken to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for testing.

The licence of the firm was also suspended by the designated officer of the district department over manufacturing dairy products under unsanitary conditions.

A thorough investigation is also launched in this matter.