Hyderabad, Aug 20 (PTI) Over 11,000 kg of various spices, including chilli powder mixed with sawdust, were among the adulterated food products seized following raids at two units here on Thursday, police
said.
Two persons were apprehended in connection with food adulteration and misbranding, the Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate said in a post on ‘X’.
Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B Sumathi said the accused took out products past their expiry date and put them in fresh packs with a fresh date.
She said the accused prepared adulterated products like chilli powder through ingenious methods, adding food colours to make them appear as products of a well-known company.
“The accused mixed spices with expired products. Chilli powder was found mixed with sawdust,” she said.
The accused have been allegedly manufacturing adulterated products including turmeric, chilli, coriander and other masala powders for the last three years, she said. Based on the lab report, appropriate sections of law will be invoked against the accused, Sumathi said.
“Raids were conducted at two units and 11,220 kgs of food products were seized along with machinery. Intentional deterioration of quality with inferior substances will not be tolerated,” officials said.
The Malkajgiri Police will operate on the lines of the ‘H-FAST’ (Hyderabad – Food Adulteration Surveillance Team) team, they further said.
Cracking down on food adulteration in a big way, the H-FAST of Hyderabad Police has seized over 280 tonnes of adulterated food items since March this year and warned of invoking stringent sections of law, including attempt to commit culpable homicide under the BNS. PTI VVK SJR VVK ADB
