Kathwada ghee unit sealed, suspected stock withheld

Ahmedabad: Intensifying its crackdown on suspected food safety violations, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has sealed a ghee manufacturing unit in Kathwada and withheld 452 litres of suspected ghee worth Rs 2.8 lakh after finding major irregularities related to food licences and hygiene standards.

The latest action comes just two days after the AMC food department seized around 4,850kg of suspected cow ghee worth Rs 31.8 lakh from three locations in the city’s Indrapuri ward, indicating a wider drive against alleged irregularities in the dairy products sector.

During an inspection conducted on Wednesday, the AMC food department raided Shree Matangi Dairy & Food Products operated by Chintan Shah. Officials found that the unit was manufacturing, storing and selling pure ghee despite serious discrepancies in its food safety licence.

According to the AMC, the licence displayed at the premises had expired and was originally issued for another location. The address mentioned on the licence and product packaging did not match the actual manufacturing site, raising suspicion that the licence of another unit may have been misused. Officials also noted that the licence did not specifically permit the manufacturing of pure ghee, even though production was actively taking place at the facility.

The inspection further revealed violations of cleanliness and hygiene norms prescribed under Schedule-4 of the Food Safety and Standards regulations.

Samples of the ghee have been sent to the Public Health Laboratory (PHL), Ahmedabad, for quality analysis. Further legal action against the operator will be initiated based on the laboratory test report.