Delhi’s Food Safety Department has destroyed 922 kg of adulterated and spoiled food items during inspections at sweet-making units in Nihal Vihar and a khoya market in Mori Gate, as authorities intensify checks ahead of the festive season.
Officials destroyed 402 kg of food products after inspecting 13 premises in Nihal Vihar. The seized items included 265 kg of rasgullas, 45 kg of chhena, 80 kg of milk cake and 12 kg of grated coconut. Fourteen samples, including rasgullas, chhena, milk cake, laddoos and paneer, were collected and sent for laboratory testing.
The inspections covered unlicensed rasgulla-making units, other sweet manufacturers and sweet shops. Teams examined hygiene practices and the conditions in which food was prepared, handled and stored. The department said the inspections were conducted on a holiday, with teams deployed simultaneously across different lanes to prevent establishments from receiving advance information.
At Mori Gate Khoya Mandi, officials destroyed a further 520 kg of food material, comprising around 370 kg of khoya and 150 kg of chhena. The material had reportedly been abandoned, spoiled and was emitting a foul smell. Three khoya samples were collected for laboratory testing.
The latest action follows an earlier inspection at the Mori Gate market on September 4, during Janmashtami, when the department said around 3,050 kg of khoya and paneer was destroyed. Officials had also inspected the Nihal Vihar area on August 26, but faced difficulty locating sweet-making units spread across multiple lanes. Only three premises were identified during that operation, as several sweet makers had shut their shops.
The inspections point to the enforcement challenge posed by dispersed and, in some cases, unlicensed food-production activity in dense urban areas. Locating units, preventing prior warning and testing samples are all necessary parts of the department’s response, particularly when seasonal demand increases the volume of sweets produced and sold across the city.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the department had been directed to continue surprise inspections, regular monitoring and sample testing during the festive season. She said action would be taken under the law against those violating food safety norms and putting public health at risk.
The laboratory results from the samples collected in Nihal Vihar and Mori Gate will determine the next enforcement steps. The department has said surprise checks and monitoring will continue during the festive period.
