Substandard tea leaves, dairy mixes worth ₹7L seized

Ghaziabad: Substandard and expired food products worth over Rs. 7 lakh were seized during surprise inspections in the Sahibabad Industrial Area, an official said on Thursday.

The operation was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSDA) at two separate commercial establishments located in Site-IV of the industrial hub.

The largest seizure involved 2,218 kg of suspected substandard tea leaves valued at approximately Rs. 6 lakh, which was recovered from a private company’s warehouse. “The enforcement team also confiscated 408 kg of dairy-based drink mixes worth nearly Rs. 94,000,” the official said.

Assistant commissioner of food, Suresh Rai, said that the initial information on the substandard tea leaves came from a neighbouring district after which an investigation was launched to trace the source. “The Sahibabad godown had been functional for the last five years,” he said.

Rai said that prima facie it is suspected that manufacturers had been using synthetic colours for the manufacturing of tea leaves. “The second you put the tea in the cold water, it starts bleeding colour which should not be the case. We have sent the sample for examination and the report will be in within a month,” he said.

In addition, inspectors found and seized expired stocks of roasted peanuts, mocktail syrups, and quality compromised goat cheese that were allegedly being stored for commercial distribution.

Rai told TOI that they have also seized some milk-based drinks that were sold in the name of protein supplements. “We have sent the sample of the same as we suspected it to be adulterated,” said the official.

Officials stated that strict legal proceedings have been initiated against the concerned units for alleged violations of food safety regulations.

Earlier in April, the team had seized a 900kg of fake paneer worth Rs. 2.25 lakh in Ghaziabad. The food department was alerted during a police routine check up after which it was destroyed.