UP food authority destroys 4,273 kg unsafe items ahead of festival

Lucknow — As Navratri approached, the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSA) intensified inspections under its “Pure is auspicious” drive. State and district enforcement teams visited food production units, warehouses and retail points throughout the state.

The operation led to the confiscation of 20,924 kg of food products, valued at about ₹66.88 million. Laboratory samples, numbering 176, were sent for analysis. Crucially, 4,273 kg of the seized stock were declared unsuitable for human consumption and were subsequently destroyed, representing a loss of approximately ₹63,900.

Two merchants have been stripped of their licences, and action is pending against an unlicensed business. About 58 corrective notices have been served to establishments that failed to comply with safety norms.

The raid placed particular emphasis on Navratri‑specific items: ghee, cooking oil, wheat, millet (kuttu) flour, sabudana and other fruit‑based preparations. In Barabanki, three facilities yielded 3,281 kg of ghee worth ₹21.22 million. Additional seizures included 2,280 kg from VKE Show, 319 kg from a dealer named Ajay Kumar Gupta, and 682 kg from Bharat Ghee, together amounting to several million rupees.

Budaun’s Babu Ram Ramesh Chandra outlet surrendered 538 kg of ghee (₹3.63 million). In Lucknow, 748 kg of ghee were seized from Bhairav Ghee storage (₹4.22 million). The enforcement drive also collected 573 kg of millet‑related products, valued at ₹88,260.

A separate inspection in Noida’s Dharmesh Industries uncovered 3,559 kg of ground spices tainted with coriander stems, colour and husk, a batch estimated at ₹7 million. The firm’s licence is under suspension and a police FIR has been filed.

In Gurgaon, authorities seized 2,848 kg of falsely labeled sabudana (₹1.36 million), 75 kg of a dairy‑brand ghee (₹58,500) and 76 kg of millet flour (₹24,750). Additional samples were taken from a private company on SSGT Road.

Other noteworthy seizures included 6,000 kg of improperly stored turmeric in Saharanpur (₹6.84 million), as well as contaminated milk and dairy items across Kanpur, Kanpur‑Nawabganj and surrounding districts.

Commissioner Dr. Roshan Jacob urged enforcement officers to avoid unnecessary hardship on small retailers, emphasizing that the focus remains on serious adulteration, counterfeit branding and repeat violations, all in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.