Haryana’s food safety authorities have destroyed around 50,000kg of adulterated sweets and fake paneer during a statewide crackdown ahead of Diwali, while 170 of 861 tested samples have failed laboratory checks, including 30 declared unsafe for human consumption.
Health minister Arti Singh Rao said on Monday that the government would not compromise on public health and had directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to intensify inspections and take strict action against businesses involved in food adulteration. The special enforcement drive began on October 1 and covers sweets, khoya, milk, paneer and other food products sold across the state.
According to the figures released by the department, officials have collected 1,288 samples so far. Laboratory testing has been completed for 861 samples, of which 170 failed. The department classified 140 samples as substandard and 30 as unsafe for human consumption. Reports on the remaining 427 samples are awaited.
The action is being carried out by joint teams of food safety officials and police across Haryana’s districts. Authorities are also checking vehicles transporting food products at state borders and on major routes, with particular attention to the use of prohibited colours in sweets. The checks come during a period when demand for traditional sweets, dairy products and packaged festive foods rises sharply.
The department is uploading the names and addresses of shopkeepers and vendors whose samples have failed laboratory tests on the official FDA Haryana portal. The move is intended to alert consumers and make enforcement information publicly accessible. The report does not specify how many prosecutions, licence suspensions or other penalties have followed the failed tests.
The state has also directed officials to enforce the ban on the manufacture and sale of analogue paneer. Sweet shops, restaurants and manufacturers have been instructed to clearly disclose whether products are prepared using desi ghee or edible oil, including on packaging boxes. The requirement places additional responsibility on businesses to provide consumers with information about the ingredients used in festive products.
To accelerate enforcement, food analysis laboratories in Karnal and Chandigarh have been directed to submit priority sample reports within 48 hours. Five mobile food-testing laboratories have also been deployed for on-the-spot testing. The authorities’ next operational step is to complete analysis of the 427 samples still awaiting reports while continuing inspections, transport checks and action against failed samples.
