FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISSUED BY: Hyderabad City Police & Food Safety Department

LOCATION: Hyderabad, Telangana

In a massive drive to protect public health, the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) of the Commissioner’s Task Force, in joint coordination with the Food Safety Department, conducted extensive simultaneous raids on 130 establishments (39 manufacturing units and 91 selling outlets) across Hyderabad.

During the drive, authorities unearthed large-scale illegal operations producing synthetic and adulterated ghee using non-milk components, palm oil, vanaspathi, skimmed milk powder, starch, and synthetic chemical ghee flavors.


KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE OPERATION


• Total Seizure: Approximately 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee and raw processing materials, including 25.5 tonnes of finished spurious ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, 1,200 liters of palm oil, 600 liters of vanaspathi, and artificial flavoring agents.

• Modus Operandi: Products with adulteration levels ranging from 10% to 40% were deceptively packaged in plastic covers/packets. They were falsely marketed as "100% Pure Ghee," "Premium Ghee," "Farm Fresh Ghee," and "Natural Ghee" to yield high profits from low-cost ingredients.

• Target Markets: The adulterated supply chain targeted local restaurants, tiffin centers, sweet shops, bakeries, caterers, ayurvedic shops, and vendors selling pooja/deepam ghee across Telangana and neighboring states.

• Regulatory Violations: Most packet products lacked mandatory FSSAI license numbers, batch/lot numbers, manufacturing dates, and expiry details.


HEALTH RISKS OF ADULTERATED GHEE

Consuming adulterated ghee containing unauthorized oils, chemical additives, and industrial flavorings presents significant long-term health hazards, including:


• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease (high cholesterol and blocked arteries).

• Gastrointestinal and digestive tract disorders.

• Chronic liver and kidney complications.


PUBLIC CONSUMER ADVISORY: HOW TO STAY SAFE


1. Verify Packaging: Do not purchase unbranded or transparent packet ghee lacking basic mandatory details. Always check for a valid FSSAI License Number, batch number, and manufacturing/expiry dates.

2. Buy From Licensed Outlets: Purchase dairy products only from authorized, reputed vendors.

3. Be Suspicious of Low Prices: Pure ghee has significant production costs. Unusually low retail prices are often an indicator of synthetic blending.


REPORT FOOD ADULTERATION (CITIZEN HELPLINE)

Citizens and local vendors are urged to report any suspected food adulteration, unhygienic food processing, or illegal manufacturing units. Your identity will remain strictly confidential.


• H-FAST Helpline / WhatsApp: 8712661212

• Emergency Assistance: Dial 112 / Dial 100