Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Feb 25: With Holi just around the corner, the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration has launched a statewide crackdown on adulterated food products, aiming to protect consumers during the festive season. Large-scale inspections across multiple districts have led to the seizure and destruction of edible oil, paneer, mawa, and sweets found unfit for consumption.

In Hapur, officials confiscated 32,500 litres of suspected adulterated edible oil from various manufacturing and storage units, with samples sent for laboratory testing. Across the state, the operation resulted in the seizure of nearly 30,000 units of edible oil.

In Gautam Buddha Nagar’s Tilpata area, authorities destroyed 200 kg of paneer deemed adulterated, while Saharanpur’s Rampur Maniharan witnessed the seizure of 6.3 quintals of illegal paneer.

Ghaziabad recorded one of the biggest enforcement actions: over a span of just 72 hours, officials destroyed 2,500 kg of paneer and 200 kg of mawa, confirming them unfit for consumption.

In Sambhal, a raid at a local rasgulla manufacturing unit led to the destruction of 225 kg of sweets suspected of adulteration. Meanwhile, in Barabanki, six food samples—including khoya, milk, namkeen, and coloured kachri—were collected for laboratory analysis, with further action to follow based on test results.

The Food Safety and Drug Administration has appealed to consumers to remain vigilant while purchasing festive food items, and to report any suspected adulteration.