Pre-Holi raids in Kanpur: FSDA seizes 9 quintals of adulterated mawa & edible oil worth Rs 29L

KANPUR: In a crackdown on food adulteration ahead of Holi, the Food Security and Drug Administration (FSDA) department on Wednesday seized adulterated mawa and edible oil worth Rs 29.08 lakh and destroyed a large quantity of unsafe products.

Acting on a tip-off, a special FSDA team raided Panki Railway Station, where around 9 quintals of mawa was allegedly brought into the city via an Etawah–Kanpur passenger train. On spotting the officials, labourers unloading the consignment fled the scene. The mawa, wrapped in dirty cloth and found in a highly unhygienic condition, was declared unfit for human consumption. As no one claimed ownership, the seized mawa, valued at Rs 3.42 lakh, was transported to a rubbish disposal plant and destroyed.


According to food safety officer Sanjay Pratap Singh, the action was taken in compliance with the directions of Cans the district magistrate. The special team included Rajnish Kumar Rai, Ajay Kumar Maurya, Somnath Kushwaha, Anil Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Verma and Sarika Singh.

While enroute to the disposal site, the team intercepted an e-rickshaw carrying mawa. The carrier claimed ownership, following which two samples were collected for testing, and the remaining consignment was released after a preliminary examination.

In a separate operation on Tuesday evening, another FSDA team raided a trader's shop at Sachendi and found a large stock of Amrit, Maya and Safari brand soybean oil allegedly imported from Nepal. On-the-spot testing by the Food Safety on Wheels laboratory indicated adulteration. The team seized around 15,894 litres of edible oil worth Rs 25.66 lakh.

The food safety officer said the department intensified inspections across the district to curb adulteration in edible items during the festive season and is running a special campaign to deter adulterators.