Maharashtra Dairy Scandal: 2.3 Crore Litres of Chemical-Laced Synthetic Milk Enters Market After Dharashiv Bust
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FDA and police launch manhunt for syndicate operators who used detergent and palm oil to fabricate milk as statewide "Safe Food" crackdown intensifies
More than 2.3 crore litres of toxic synthetic milk are suspected to have been sold across Maharashtra over the last six months, following a major crackdown on an organized syndicate operating in Bhoom taluka.
The joint operation by the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and local police revealed that the racket manufactured artificial milk using detergent, cheap palm oil, and urea, before blending it into the main dairy supply heading to major cities.
The Math Behind the Fraud
Account books and registers seized during the raid show that the operators processed 2,30,470 kilograms of low-grade milk powder over six months. They used this stock to manufacture 23,04,070 litres of pure synthetic milk, valued at over ₹9.21 crore.
Rather than selling this fake milk directly, the syndicate used a 10% dilution trick: they mixed 10 litres of synthetic milk into every 100 litres of genuine milk collected from local farmers. This allowed them to contaminate over 2.3 crore litres of the regional supply before it reached packaging plants.
How the Chemical Milk Was Made
The illegal factory operated under the cover of a cattle feed shop in Bhoom—a major dairy hub that ships lakhs of litres of milk daily and produces up to 80 tonnes of khoya (condensed milk).
Raiding officers found that the operators used detergent as an emulsifier to blend water and oil, creating a frothy layer that looks like fresh milk. Cheap palm oil was added to mimic milk fat during testing. Medical experts warn that drinking detergent-contaminated milk causes severe damage to the kidneys, liver, and digestive tract, with children and pregnant women at the highest risk.
Police Action and Absconding Suspects
The racket was exposed after police intercepted a shipment of 61 bags of adulterated milk powder linked to a local supplier, Balasaheb Godge.
Dharashiv police have registered cases against seven people under the Food Safety and Standards Act. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to track down the main suspects, who fled the district when the raids began. Conviction under these charges carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a ₹10 lakh fine.
State-Wide Crackdown: Beyond Dairy
The Bhoom bust is the biggest win so far for the "Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra" campaign, launched by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The campaign has expanded rapidly to target food fraud at every level of the supply chain.
The FDA has reported major seizures across several other sectors over the last few weeks:
- Milk & Ghee: Teams raided dairies in Mumbai, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, and Solapur, seizing and destroying 41,000 litres of adulterated milk and ₹47 lakh worth of substandard ghee and khoya. Iconic establishments, including Mumbai’s K Rustom & Co. ice cream parlour, faced license suspensions after tests showed their products fell far below legal fat requirements.
- Fake Cheese and Paneer: The FDA launched a massive drive against "analog" paneer and cheese—imitation dairy made from vegetable fats and starch. Testing revealed that nearly 40% of analog samples taken from local restaurants and wholesalers were unfit for human consumption.
- Oils and Spices: At the Vashi APMC market, officials seized 9,630 kilograms of adulterated spices valued at ₹9.76 lakh, while another raid in Nanded confiscated 31,096 pouches of misbranded soybean oil.
- Banned Tobacco: Raids across 904 locations led to the seizure of ₹41 lakh worth of banned gutkha and pan masala.
