New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has dismantled an alleged inter-state network involved in the manufacture and distribution of suspected counterfeit ghee, seizing more than 6,500 litres of suspected adulterated products and related raw materials during coordinated operations in Delhi and Haryana.

The action was carried out by Central Food Safety Officers (CFSOs) under the guidance of Devesh Kumar Mahla, IPS, Director, Northern Regional Office (NRO), FSSAI, in coordination with local police authorities.

Speaking about the operation, Mahla said, 'We have seized around 6500 liter of adulterated ghee. It was manufactured with vegetable and animal fat as per the lab report. It was a good operation with FSSAI making decoy and organised surveillance and action.'

According to FSSAI, the investigation began after officials identified digital and print advertisements promoting premium cow ghee and regular ghee without mandatory FSSAI licence details and prescribed labelling information.

Officials subsequently conducted a decoy operation, posing as consumers to procure samples of the products. The samples were immediately sent to an FSSAI-recognised NABL-accredited laboratory for detailed analysis.

According to the laboratory findings, the samples did not conform to standards prescribed for ghee under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations and were found to contain a mixture of vegetable oils and other non-dairy constituents.

Based on the findings, FSSAI teams traced the alleged manufacturing, storage and distribution network and carried out enforcement operations on June 17 at multiple locations in Delhi and Haryana.

In Delhi, officials raided a facility at Village Dhulsiras in Dwarka linked to Parit Ram and recovered around 1,020 litres of unidentified oil suspected to be used as raw material in the production of counterfeit ghee, along with approximately 1,500 litres of suspected adulterated ghee. The stock was seized and placed under regulatory custody.

In Haryana, officials conducted an operation at M/S Bala Ji Food Products in Sonipat and seized more than 4,000 litres of suspected adulterated ghee that had been packaged for market distribution.

FSSAI said a formal complaint has been lodged with local police authorities, and an FIR has been registered against the miscreants. The seized materials have been secured under regulatory custody, while statutory enforcement samples have been drawn for further analysis.

The food regulator said further investigations are underway to identify additional entities allegedly linked to the network and reiterated its zero-tolerance approach towards food adulteration and misbranding.

Further, consumers are advised to remain vigilant while purchasing food products and to verify FSSAI licence or registration number, proper labelling information, manufacturer details, packaging integrity and unusually low prices that may indicate counterfeit products. (ANI)