The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) seized nearly 54 quintals of food products worth ₹ 1.32 crore and suspended the licences of 27 establishments across the state during a crackdown on food adulteration ahead of Diwali and Bhai Dooj.
Inspections exposed violations, including mouldy sweets, expired ingredients, rodent infestation, use of inedible colours and unhygienic manufacturing conditions. Officials were directed to check raw materials, production hygiene and storage conditions. The drive covered sweet shops, manufacturing units, warehouses, storage facilities and temporary festive outlets. In Moradabad, inspections exposed contaminated ingredients at a rasgulla manufacturing unit, use of expired ingredients and inedible colours, and rat droppings at another establishment.
Under its ‘Shuddh Hi Shubh Hai’ campaign, the department inspected 1,133 locations and collected 935 food samples between October 26 and November 3. As part of the campaign, 32 mobile food safety squads conducted special operations in Bareilly and Moradabad, while inter-district teams were deployed in Kasganj, Etawah, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Kushinagar and Shahjahanpur.
Assistant commissioner FSDA VP Singh said surveillance had been extended across the food supply chain, including manufacturing, transportation, storage and sale.
