Milk adulteration racket uncovered in Gujarat’s Amreli; one held with fake products

Amreli, Oct 22 (IANS) The Special Operations Group (SOG) police, in coordination with the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), exposed a milk adulteration racket operating out of a residential property in Mityala area in Amreli district.

The authorities seized adulterated milk and arrested one suspect, Gunvant Shamji Kalsariya, with materials worth Rs 2.21 lakh.

The adulterated milk was being packaged in plastic bags for distribution.

This case is the latest in a series of counterfeit goods scandals sweeping Gujarat, involving fake ghee, paneer, court officials, and even IPS officers.

The FDCA has ramped up food inspections ahead of the Diwali festival, during which food safety violations are often on the uptick.

Milk samples have been sent to Gandhinagar for further analysis.

In a series of operations against food adulteration, Gujarat’s FDCA has been actively seizing and destroying large quantities of adulterated milk and milk products across the state.

In February 2024, FDCA officials seized and destroyed around 10,000 litres of adulterated milk worth Rs 4.17 lakh in Palanpur and Gandhinagar.

The milk, adulterated with maltodextrin powder, was being supplied to a Palanpur-based firm. As part of the operation, the FDCA also confiscated suspicious quantities of adulterated cheese and paneer.

In May 2024, the FDCA seized 1,07,122 kg of adulterated milk and milk products, alongside 34,498 kg of adulterated ghee.

These products, worth an estimated Rs 8.03 crore, had been adulterated over a span of ten months.

The milk, supplied by various vendors, was being used to produce milk products and sweets for commercial sale. In August 2022, FDCA authorities intercepted a truck at a checkpoint in Rajkot carrying 4,000 litres of adulterated milk.

Upon inspection, the milk was found to be made from harmful chemicals such as sulfates, phosphates, and carbonate oils, posing significant health risks to consumers.

To help consumers identify adulterated milk at home, FDCA recommends a simple test: Place 2-3 ml of milk on a glass surface and add 2-3 drops of iodine tincture. If the mixture turns blue, the milk is likely adulterated.

–IANS

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