25 tonnes of adulterated spices seized in Hyderabad, 3 held

Hyderabad, Aug 4 (IANS) The Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) of the (Police) Commissioner’s Task Force seized 25 tonnes of spices containing dangerous chemicals and arrested three accused.

Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar said on Tuesday that H-FAST, in joint coordination with the Food Safety Department of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), conducted a major enforcement drive against certain spice trading and processing establishments across the Hyderabad Commissionerate limits.

The special crackdown was aimed to curb use of harmful-to-human chemicals as adulterants, eliminating misbranding, ensuring strict adherence to food safety standards, and protecting public health.

During the operation, carried out based on credible information from the public, enforcement teams inspected 13 business establishments and independent business locations which were actively engaged in the procurement, processing, and wholesale or retail trading of spices and also indulging in certain offences affecting human health.

A total of 25 tonnes of various spices found to contain certain dangerous chemicals and hazardous substances were seized during the raids. Consequently, three criminal cases were registered across three police stations.

Rahul Bhati, Vishal Panwar, and Dulichand Kachhawar, all residents of Hyderabad, have been arrested in connection with these cases.

Officials identified the widespread use of synthetic harmful chemicals in human food and also colours, including Bush synthetic food colours, alongside dangerous poisonous substances such as cloth dyes, industrial-grade permanent colours, shining powder (talcum powder), and rice bran oil.

In one manufacturing facility, low-quality and rejected mustard stocks were being adulterated by mixing fabric dye, talcum powder, and oil to artificially enhance the product’s gloss, weight, and overall volume. In other units, spices such as cloves and shahzeera were found coated with synthetic colours to give them a bright and premium visual appearance before sale, while permanent industrial dyes were being used to adulterate shahzeera, ajwain, and several other essential spices.

The Commissioner said that the H-FAST team, in coordination with officials from the GHMC Food Safety, has been conducting extensive field inspections across the city. Within just 140 days of its establishment, the department conducted 659 raids, registered 202 FIRs, and seized nearly 246 tonnes of adulterated food.

Additionally, 232 cases were handed over to GHMC Food Safety officials for further action, while inspections were carried out at 46 paneer and 83 ghee outlets, alongside the prompt resolution of various complaints received from the public.

The findings from these inspections revealed alarming practices, including the addition of titanium oxide, a chemical used in paints, and dangerous acetic acid to ginger-garlic paste to make it appear white and thick. This paste was being prepared using unpeeled and rotten ginger and garlic across 32 centres, leading to raids where over 27 tonnes (27,024 kg) of adulterated paste was seized.

Furthermore, officials confiscated over 12 tonnes of rotten chicken and mutton, along with a staggering 60 tonnes of foul-smelling chicken waste stored in unhygienic conditions intended for hotel supply. The overall hygienic conditions were equally shocking, with food being prepared in unsanitary environments right next to dirty toilets amidst flies and cockroaches.

–IANS

ms/vd