Delhi is set to intensify food safety inspections after enforcement teams seized 948.9 litres of suspected adulterated ghee from three markets, prompting the government to plan modern equipment, additional staff and tougher action against violators.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday that the Food Safety Department would be strengthened to curb the sale of adulterated and substandard food products across the capital. The announcement followed inspections conducted at Bhogal Market in south-east Delhi, Najafgarh Market in south-west Delhi and Shiv Vihar in north-east Delhi.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, officials seized 389.9 litres of ghee at Bhogal Market and 338 litres at Najafgarh Market on Wednesday. A further 221 litres of suspected adulterated ghee was confiscated at Shiv Vihar during a joint operation with the Delhi Police.
Food safety officials also collected 15 samples from two of the markets. The samples have been sent to a laboratory for testing, and further action will depend on the test results, the CMO said. The seizure itself does not establish that all the products were adulterated, with laboratory analysis required before final enforcement action.
The proposed response includes equipping the department with modern testing and enforcement equipment and increasing its staff strength. Ms. Gupta said she had instructed officials to blacklist offending brands, impose heavy fines, cancel licences, register FIRs and disclose the names of violators through newspaper advertisements.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to make consumer helpline numbers available. In a post on X, she said the administration was acting against adulterated and unsafe food products “not just during the festive season, but throughout the year”. Residents can report suspected adulteration, substandard food and the sale of expired products to the department’s helpline, 1800113921, during office hours.
The inspections underline the operational challenge of monitoring food sold through Delhi’s dense network of markets, retailers and supply chains. The government’s proposed staffing and equipment upgrades are intended to expand the department’s ability to conduct checks and process cases beyond periodic enforcement drives.
Ms. Gupta said food safety was directly linked to public health and consumer confidence, adding that the government’s responsibility was to ensure that residents could buy food products without their quality and safety being compromised. The seized samples remain subject to laboratory testing, after which officials are expected to decide on penalties and other action.
