The Nashik division of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized more than 5,430kg of suspected substandard cooking oil and spices worth over Rs17 lakh in two separate operations during its ongoing festive-season food safety drive. The action covered a spice-manufacturing unit in Tigrania Industrial area near Dwarka and an oil mill in Bhagur.
According to FDA officials, the spice unit was found facing action over labelling violations, suspected misbranding and failure to meet prescribed quality standards. Officials confiscated 2,230kg of products, including turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and regional masalas. The seized stock was valued at more than Rs11 lakh.
In a separate operation at the Bhagur oil mill, the FDA confiscated over 3,200kg of refined soyabean oil valued at more than Rs5.4 lakh after it was identified as suspected substandard stock. The seized material included 2,500kg of loose refined soyabean oil and 710kg of packaged oil sold under a specific brand.
The operations were conducted under the guidance of food safety commissioner Tukaram Mundhe and joint commissioner Mangesh Mane. The spice-unit action was carried out during an inspection led by assistant commissioner V P Dhawad, the report said.
The seizures highlight the role of regulatory inspections in a city’s food supply chain, particularly during periods when demand for edible oils, spices and other packaged or loose food products rises. The FDA’s action covers both manufacturing and processing establishments, placing responsibility on businesses to comply with food labelling and quality requirements before products reach consumers.
An FDA official said inspection drives were continuing across the region throughout the festive period to ensure that citizens had access to safe and high-quality food products. The administration warned that establishments compromising food quality or violating the Food Safety and Standards Act would face stern legal action.
The FDA has also appealed to citizens to report suspicions about the quality of food products. The seized materials will remain subject to the regulatory process arising from the alleged violations, while the department’s wider inspection drive is scheduled to continue through the festive period.
