The Delhi government has seized 322 kg of ghee and 75.53 litres of the product during festive-season food-safety inspections at stores promoting heavy discounts on social media, including ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ offers and discounts of up to 60 per cent.
The Food Safety Department also collected samples of confectionery, biscuits, makhana and turmeric powder to test for suspected adulteration, substandard quality and labelling violations. The inspections targeted stores advertising festive offers and found shortcomings related to food-safety compliance at the establishments visited.
At Maxcart Store and Aggarwal Store in Vikaspuri, officials collected five enforcement samples of ghee from different brands and five surveillance samples of other food products. At Maxcart Store and Aggarwal Store in Hastal village, the department seized 75.53 litres and 246 kg of ghee, respectively.
Three enforcement samples of ghee were collected at the Hastal outlet under the Shri Shan, Vrinda Farms and Avtar brands. The department did not state in the supplied report that the seized ghee had been confirmed as adulterated. The samples have been sent for laboratory testing, and further action will depend on the findings and applicable law.
The inspection drive extended to other food products and retail locations. Two samples of sugar-boiled confectionery were collected from Sahib Sons on Library Road in Azad Market, operating under the trade name Vicon International, over suspected incorrect labelling. Samples of makhana and turmeric powder were collected from Jain Store in Lajpat Nagar.
At Yug Basket Private Limited in Rithala, officials sampled two varieties of biscuits, soft candy and sugar-based candy. The department also recorded food-safety compliance shortcomings at the inspected establishments, although the report did not specify the nature of each deficiency.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the festive season should not involve any compromise on food quality or public health. She said the government was committed to curbing adulteration, the sale of substandard and expired products, and incorrect labelling.
The enforcement action places laboratory testing at the centre of the department’s next steps. Results from the collected samples will determine whether further proceedings are initiated under the applicable law. Until those findings are available, the reported seizures and suspected violations remain subject to the testing and enforcement process.
The government has also urged consumers to check food quality, packaging, manufacturing dates and expiry dates before purchasing festive products. The Food Safety Department’s next formal action will follow the laboratory findings from the samples collected during the inspections.
