A Jaipur food safety raid at Shri Shyam Foods in Muhana Mandi led authorities to seal the unit after officials found dead lizards in pickle containers and seized about 85,000 kg of prepared pickle and raw material stored in what they described as unsanitary conditions. The action was taken during the ‘Shuddh Aahar–Milawat Par Vaar’ campaign ahead of Diwali.
Food safety officials seized nearly 5,000 kg of prepared pickle and approximately 80,000 kg of raw materials, including carrot, raw mango, lemon and chilli, during the inspection on Monday. Around 1,700 kg of packaged pickle and sauce was also seized from the premises.
According to Food Safety and Drug Control Commissioner Avichal Chaturvedi, dead lizards were found in one or two containers. Officials also reported mosquitoes, spiders and cobwebs across the facility, along with filth, broken windows and damaged mesh screens. These observations formed the basis for stopping all operations at the unit until further orders.
Samples of sauce, mixed pickle and mango pickle were collected and sent for laboratory testing. Officials initiated proceedings to destroy the seized stock and raw materials over contamination concerns. The food safety officer for Jaipur II was directed to begin proceedings to suspend the firm’s food licence.
The final regulatory action will depend on the laboratory findings and the nature of the violations established by the department. Officials said the firm could face imprisonment and fines if the products are confirmed to be unsafe, depending on the consequences and applicable provisions.
The raid illustrates the role of routine inspection and licensing systems in monitoring food manufacturing units operating within the city’s wholesale and production network. Muhana Mandi, where the unit was located, is part of Jaipur’s supply chain for food products, making hygiene conditions at processing premises relevant to consumers beyond the immediate neighbourhood.
In a separate inspection at Pioneer Natural Products in Muhana, officials reported alleged irregularities involving misleading health claims and incomplete address details on food products. Samples were collected, stock was seized, and the firm was ordered to stop manufacturing and selling the concerned products until further orders.
The next steps in the Shri Shyam Foods case are the laboratory examination of the collected samples, proceedings related to the seized stock and the proposed action concerning the firm’s food licence. Operations at the unit will remain stopped until the food safety department issues further orders.
