SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Sunday imposed a complete ban on the sale, storage and distribution of 10 ghee batches found adulterated with foreign vegetable fat, terming them “sub-standard, unsafe, and misbranded” for public consumption.
The action, taken under Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, came after the Notified Food Analyst at the National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad, and the Food Testing Laboratory, Kashmir, confirmed quality violations in samples collected from nine districts across the Union Territory.
Banned batches
Among the banned products are the brands Dairy Mohan, Apna Dairy Milk, Milk Bite, Nandni, Shahi Taj, Daawat Fresh, Nand Krishna, Vandu, Dairy Milk, and Mohan Dairy, with the FDA identifying specific batch numbers for each.
The affected batches include Dairy Mohan Desi Ghee (Batch No. 05), Apna Dairy Milk Desi Ghee (Batch No. DM-06), Milk Bite Cow Ghee (Batch No. 137), Nandni Desi Ghee (Batch No. ND-28), Shahi Taj Desi Ghee (Batch No. 134), Daawat Fresh (Batch No. VT09), Nand Krishna Cow Ghee (Batch No. PC-05-26), Vandu Cow Ghee (Batch No. D143), Dairy Milk Desi Ghee (Batch No. OM12), and Mohan Dairy Ghee (Batch No. 06).
Laboratory findings
Laboratory analysis revealed the presence of beta-sitosterol — a marker for vegetable oil adulteration — along with positive Baudouin test results, abnormal fatty-acid profiles, and significant deviations from prescribed physicochemical parameters, officials said.
The samples were originally collected from Anantnag, Shangus, Larnoo, Bijbehara, Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Tral, and Pampore.
Enforcement measures
The FDA has directed all Food Business Operators (FBOs), wholesalers, distributors and retailers to immediately halt sales and ensure the complete withdrawal of these batches from the market. Affected businesses have been given 48 hours to declare their remaining stock to the concerned Designated Officer.
Enforcement agencies have been placed on high alert to monitor compliance and prevent further circulation of the prohibited products.
“Ghee is required to be derived exclusively from milk or milk products. Any added matter not exclusively derived from milk fat is not permitted for sale under the applicable food safety standards,” the FDA said in its prohibitory order.
The ban is effective immediately across Jammu and Kashmir. The FDA has urged consumers to exercise caution, verify brand names, batch numbers and packing dates while purchasing ghee, and to report any availability of the banned batches to the nearest food safety authority.
In an official statement, the FDA clarified that the prohibitory measure is precautionary and does not curtail the statutory right of the concerned FBOs to seek re-analysis through an FSSAI-notified Referral Laboratory.
The action comes amid growing concerns over food adulteration in the region.