The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Pune division has intensified its crackdown on illegal food items, filing FIRs against 14 individuals and arresting them over the past two days. The arrests were made for selling prohibited products such as gutka, paan masala, and areca nuts, as well as for possessing adulterated food items and misbranded products. The raids were conducted across rural and urban areas of Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Akluj, and Sangli.
Seizures and Violations
FDA teams seized adulterated dairy products, edible oils, nutritional supplements, banned gutka, and flavored tobacco valued at a total of Rs 31.8 lakh. Additionally, many businesses were found operating without the necessary licenses at various locations. Joint Commissioner (Food) of FDA Pune division, Digambar Bhogawade, stated that those selling and possessing prohibited items have been arrested. He highlighted that during the raids, several units lacked licenses, had misbranded items, displayed false labels, and were reusing tins. Food samples have been sent to laboratories for adulteration testing, and traders will be prosecuted under the Food Safety Act and relevant BNS sections.
Legal Charges Invoked
Bhogawade explained that charges have been pressed under the BNS, including section 123 for causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offense, section 274 for adulteration of food or drink intended for sale, and section 275 for selling or offering for sale food or drink that is noxious, knowing it to be unfit for consumption.
Specific Raids and Findings
Officials discovered a large stock of 'cheese analogs' at a dairy in Keshavnagar in the city. Action was taken against dairies in the Wadgaon Sheri and Kharadi areas, where samples of ghee, paneer, and other dairy products were collected. Paneer suspected to be adulterated, worth lakhs of rupees, was seized from an establishment in Kharadi.
A special drive involving raids at five locations in the Ambegaon and Khed talukas was conducted. Here, banned gutka, pan masala, adulterated food items, betel nuts, and other food stocks worth lakhs of rupees were seized. Illegal substances were confiscated from a warehouse in Manchar as well. A private manufacturer in the town was caught doing business without necessary business licenses and registrations. Suspecting violations of food safety laws regarding refined flour, gram flour, wheat flour, and other food items being sold, a stock weighing 19,886 kg and valued at Rs 10.5 lakh was seized from him.
In the Khed taluka, an establishment in Khalchi Bhamburwadi was found operating without a license, and stock of betel nuts weighing 18,988 kg and valued at Rs 8.2 lakh was seized. During a raid on a commercial establishment in Uruli Kanchan, stocks of soybean and palmolein edible oils from various brands were confiscated.
Further Action
Bhogawade stated that further action would be taken following the lab reports of the seized food samples.
