Delhi officials seized over 322 kg of ghee from stores offering steep festive discounts amid quality concerns. While lab results are awaited, consumers have been urged to check packaging and manufacturing and expiry dates before buying.
During the festive season, shoppers tend to splurge more, drawn by a host of offers and steep discounts. However, not every deal is a good bargain. In a statement on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the capital's food safety department had seized over 322 kg of ghee amid concerns over quality and pricing.
Why were the stores inspected?
The inspections targeted stores promoting deals on social media, including ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ offers and discounts of up to 60 per cent. According to PTI, food safety officials inspected the shops to assess compliance with food safety rules and check for adulterated, substandard, expired, or incorrectly labelled products.
What did officials find and seize?
During inspections at Maxcart Store and Aggarwal Store in west Delhi's Vikaspuri, officials collected five enforcement samples of ghee from several brands, along with samples of other food products. Over 75.5 litres of ghee were seized.
Similarly, at Aggarwal Store in Hastal village, officials collected three enforcement samples of ghee from the Shri Shan, Vrinda Farms and Avtar brands and seized 246 kg of the product.
In separate inspections, the department also collected samples of other food items, including two samples of sugar-boiled confectionery from a store called Sahib Sons in Azad Market, which was operating under the trade name Vicon International. The samples were collected over suspected labelling irregularities.
Additionally, samples of makhana and turmeric powder were collected from Jain Store in Lajpat Nagar, while samples of different types of biscuits, soft candy and sugar-based candy were collected from Yug Basket Private Limited in Rithala.
What's next?
The food safety department stated that the findings would be assessed alongside laboratory test reports before any further action was taken. It added that inspections had revealed lapses in adherence to food safety standards at the establishments and that further action would follow.
Earlier checks found unsafe ghee samples
The development comes days after the food safety department carried out an inspection drive last week and found several ghee samples unfit for consumption. According to reports, the department found that 19 of 59 desi ghee samples were unfit for consumption, while four others were substandard. Samples from different brands were collected from markets across the capital, including Naharpur, Posangipur, Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Rampura, Tagore Garden, Kalyanpuri, Krishna Vihar and Kondli.
Separately, frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, soft drinks and eggless chocolate-chip brownies were among the items found stocked for sale at warehouses and dark stores despite being past their use-by dates.
Following the inspection drive, Gupta said in a statement, “The food safety department has been directed to tighten monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products through online platforms. Action must be taken in accordance with the rules wherever food safety standards are violated. The govt’s objective is not merely to identify deficiencies, but also to ensure a system in which every family in Delhi has access to safe and quality food. Protecting public health and ensuring accountability in the food trade remain govt priorities.”
What should consumers be aware of?
Following the seizure of over 322 kg of ghee, Rekha Gupta on Friday urged consumers to check the quality and packaging of food products, along with their manufacturing and expiry dates, before purchasing them.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has outlined a home test to detect starch adulteration in ghee. Place half a teaspoon of ghee in a clear glass bowl and add two to three drops of iodine solution. A blue colour may indicate the presence of starch, potentially from mashed potato or sweet potato. However, the absence of a colour change does not establish that the ghee is pure or free from other adulterants.
(with agency inputs)
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Swati Gandhi
Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.