Patanjali fined ₹1.4 lakh after cow ghee fails food safety tests

Patanjali Ayurved Limited, along with its distributor and retailer, has been fined a total of ₹1.4 lakh by Uttarakhand’s Food Safety and Drug Administration after samples of its cow ghee failed to meet required safety standards, as per reports.

Reports state that during a routine inspection in October 2020, officials collected a ghee sample from a general store in Kasni, Pithoragarh. Testing at the state laboratory in Rudrapur indicated that the product did not comply with prescribed food safety norms and could pose health risks.

A notice was reportedly issued to Patanjali in 2021 following the initial findings. After some delay, company representatives sought a re-test at a central lab. The National Food Laboratory (NFL) in Ghaziabad submitted its report in November 2021, reportedly confirming the Rudrapur lab’s observations.

Once both reports were reviewed and legal procedures completed, the case went before the Adjudicating Officer/Additional District Magistrate in Pithoragarh in February 2022. The officer imposed a ₹1 lakh penalty on Patanjali, ₹25,000 on the distributor, and ₹15,000 on the retailer.