Hyderabad police have dismantled a large operation producing fake ghee from palm oil, vanaspati, starch and artificial flavours sold as pure ghee. On Tuesday the city police reported seizing 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee and raw materials after checking 130 sites across Hyderabad. Food adulteration poses a serious public health risk and those responsible will face strict action, Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar stated. The drive was carried out by the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team together with food safety officials. Acting on tips from the public, teams examined 39 production units and 91 retail outlets. Two main methods were used to create the fake product. One replaced all milk fat with palm oil, vanaspati and flavourings. The second used skimmed milk powder with almost no fat, plus palm oil, vanaspati, starch and flavourings. Genuine ghee requires 95.5 percent milk fat and 30 to 35 litres of milk per litre produced, costing more than 1500 rupees after processing. The seized items included 25.5 tonnes of adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, 1200 litres of palm oil, 600 litres of vanaspati, 30 kg of starch and six bottles of artificial flavours. Samples were taken for lab testing and the goods were handed to the Food Safety Department. The adulteration level ranged from 10 to 40 percent. Products were supplied as pooja ghee and to restaurants, sweet shops, bakeries, caterers, Ayurvedic stores and hotels. Many packets lacked required labels such as batch numbers, FSSAI details and expiry dates. Raw cream came from suppliers in six states including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The fake ghee was distributed across Telangana and nearby states. Prolonged intake of products high in trans fats may raise cholesterol and increase risks of heart disease and stroke. Laboratory tests will confirm exact composition. Consumers should buy only from licensed sellers and check for intact seals and complete labelling.
