Maharashtra FDA seizes 75 tonnes of butter, paneer, khoya in festive crackdown
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized more than 95 tonnes of food products and 172 litres of milk, collectively worth around Rs 4.45 crore, during inspections across the state over the past two days, officials said on Saturday.
The inspections were carried out in Ahilyanagar, Pune, Nashik and Buldhana as part of a special drive to ensure the availability of safe and hygienic food ahead of the festive season, the FDA said.
In Ahilyanagar, officials raided a cold storage facility and seized 75,368.8 kg of pasteurised unsalted cooking butter, labelled 'Madurama Creamy Delight', worth Rs 3.95 crore. The stock was suspected to be substandard and had labelling deficiencies. Samples were sent for laboratory testing and the stock was sealed.
In Pune, FDA officials intercepted two vehicles allegedly transporting adulterated paneer, khoya and curd for sale during the festive season, which begins with Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14.
The agency found that the milk products were being transported in vehicles without temperature-control facilities. Paneer sourced from Karnataka was also being transported without purchase or sale invoices, while some products were stored in unsealed polythene bags and had incomplete labels.
Officials collected 24 samples from the first vehicle and seized 7,362.5 kg of paneer and other food products worth Rs 17.15 lakh. From the second vehicle, they collected 12 samples and seized 6,081 kg of paneer worth Rs 14.55 lakh.
In another inspection at K B Agarwal in Puneβs Budhwar Peth, officials found 33 lots of khoya being stored for sale without details about their source. After collecting samples, the FDA seized 4,627 kg of khoya worth Rs 11.56 lakh. The entire stock was later destroyed at Hadapsar with the consent of the food business operator.
The three Pune operations resulted in the seizure of 18,070.5 kg of food products worth Rs 43.27 lakh and the collection of 69 samples. The samples have been sent for laboratory analysis, following which further action will be taken, the FDA said.
In Nashik, officials intercepted a vehicle carrying barfi from Gujarat and seized 1,955 kg of the sweet worth Rs 5.58 lakh after collecting 10 samples.
In Buldhana, FDA officials inspected a milk collection centre operated by the Marathwada Milk Producersβ Association at Yerli in Nandura taluka and found several violations.
These included lack of registration, inadequate facilities for milk collection, incomplete stainless-steel equipment, failure to maintain the required temperature and absence of records related to milk suppliers, pest control, medical fitness and water testing.
Officials collected samples of cow and buffalo milk and seized 139 litres of cow milk and 33 litres of buffalo milk worth Rs 7,863. The milk was destroyed as it was perishable and the operator had failed to maintain the required records.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department was closely monitoring the quality of food products across Maharashtra and warned that strict action would be taken against those compromising public health.
He said the FDA would continue its crackdown on adulterated and misbranded food products during the festive season.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 12, 2026 22:23 IST
