A joint food safety and police team has seized stocks and raw materials from a unit in Koderma’s Taratand area that officials said was allegedly manufacturing spurious ghee for the festive market. The raid was conducted on Thursday night at a house in Ward 14 under Tilaiya police station limits after complaints and a tip-off about adulterated products being prepared there.
The operation recovered large quantities of vegetable oil, palm oil, chemicals and other raw materials allegedly used to make fake ghee, according to officials. The team also found packaging material carrying labels of brands commonly used for religious rituals. Officials said the packaging appeared intended to pass off the product as pure ritual-use ghee.
Food safety officer Abhishek Anand told the Times of India that all stocks found at the premises had been seized and that a notice was being issued to the accused. He said the use of labels indicating religious purposes did not remove the public-health risk because adulterated ghee could still reach rural households for consumption.
Officials also found that the unit was violating packaging norms. Anand said the premises were operating on a trade licence that had expired in 2023, and that the licence did not permit the manufacture or packaging of ghee. The licensing issue adds a regulatory dimension to the seizure, with the unit allegedly operating outside both its valid licence period and the permitted scope of activity.
Samples of the seized products and materials will be sent for testing under food safety norms, officials said. Further action will be based on the test reports. The reported seizure therefore remains subject to laboratory findings and the subsequent proceedings by the authorities.
The raid comes as demand for ghee and other food products rises during the festive season. Misleading packaging can make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between products intended only for ritual use and those that may enter household kitchens, particularly when stocks are distributed through informal or rural supply networks. The food safety department did not provide details of the quantity seized in the material available for this report.
Tilaiya police station officer in-charge Vinay Kumar and sub-inspector Pinki Rani led the police team during the operation. Anand said inspection drives would continue across Koderma district during the festive season, while the authorities await the results of testing and proceed with action under applicable food safety rules.
