Now Reading: Maharashtra FDA seizes Rs 9 crore food items, Patanjali ghee in pre-Diwali drive
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Maharashtra FDA seizes Rs 9 crore food items, Patanjali ghee in pre-Diwali drive
Maharashtra FDA seizes Rs 9 crore food items, Patanjali ghee in pre-Diwali drive
The Story in Brief
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized food products worth Rs 9.01 crore during a statewide drive between 28 and 31 October, ahead of Diwali. The operation covered 114 establishments across all seven divisions, leading to the suspension of 19 food business licences, 13 FIRs and 16 arrests, the FDA said on Tuesday. Among the items confiscated were 2,279.7 litres of Patanjali cow ghee worth Rs 20.20 lakh from a distributor in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, on suspicion of misbranding and adulteration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The largest single seizure was 1,44,218 kg of edible oil from Avenue Supermarts in Bhiwandi, Thane district. Konkan division saw the highest-value haul at Rs 5.27 crore. Seven establishments were closed and six vehicles seized for hygiene and safety violations, including unhygienic premises and insect infestation. The FDA also seized banned food articles worth Rs 79.40 lakh from 17 establishments. In a separate operation on Tuesday, Rajasthan food safety officials seized 35,000 litres of ghee and sealed a factory in Jaipur under the state's 'Shuddh Aahar-Milawat Par Vaar' campaign.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All six sources report the Maharashtra FDA's pre-Diwali drive factually, with near-identical figures, Rs 9.01 crore seized, 3.53 lakh kg of food, 114 establishments inspected, 19 licences suspended. The uniform focus on the Patanjali ghee seizure (2,279.7 litres, Rs 20.20 lakh) in headlines across NDTV Profit, The Hindu, Telangana Today, News9, and CNBC-TV18 reflects shared wire-agency copy, not editorial choice. The sole divergence is Deccan Herald, which covers a separate, simultaneous Rajasthan campaign (35,000 litres of ghee seized, a Jaipur factory sealed), its story is attached to the same news cycle but concerns a different state and operation. The coverage leaves open the question of whether the Patanjali stock will be confirmed adulterated after lab tests, as the FDA has only cited ‘suspicion’ and ‘prima facie evidence’ under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Coverage: 6 sources, 6 neutral
Sources (6): ndtvprofit.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report), telanganatoday.com (neutral report), news9live.com (neutral report), deccanherald.com (neutral report), cnbctv18.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 3 November 2026: this story now draws on 6 sources.
Update, 3 November 2026: further reports on this story from indiatoday.in, hindustantimes.com.
