H-FAST Seizes 121 Tonnes of Adulterated Food in 100 Days
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar warned that Preventive Detection (PD) would be invoked against the adulteration mafia
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) seized 121 tonnes of adulterated food after registering 185 cases in 100 days. The H-FAST is getting at least 15 calls from the people complaining about adulterated supplied in hotels.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar warned that Preventive Detection (PD) would be invoked against the adulteration mafia.
According to him, the H-FAST, a dedicated wing formed to eliminate adulteration networks that jeopardize public health and reduce life expectancy, has completed 100 days of operations. Launched on March 19 this year, the specialized team has been waging an uncompromising war against food adulteration through continuous raids and surprise inspections, working in close coordination with the GHMC, Food Safety, and Veterinary departments.
The food adulteration is not merely a legal offense or commercial fraud. It is a silent onslaught on society. This man-made menace severely impacts public well-being, as modern chemical additives and sub-standard preservatives are shortening human life expectancy significantly compared to past generations.
The consumption of these hazardous agents severely disrupts child development and triggers chronic conditions like cancer, kidney failure, and cardiovascular diseases across all demographics.
Shocking revelations came to light in the 100-day war against adulteration. The H-FAST ,operating under the decisive leadership of the DCP Task Force, a highly trained force of 36 personnel has launched structured crackdowns across the city, resulting in 185 cases and the confiscation of 121.87 tonnes of toxic food material.
The geographical spread of these offenses shows the highest concentration in the Rajendranagar Zone with 55 cases, followed by Golconda with 44, Secunderabad with 35, Charminar with 21, Shamshabad with 13, Jubilee Hills with 12, and Khairatabad with five cases.
The scale of recovered commodities exposes the dangerous methods utilized by these syndicates, highlighted by the seizure of 27,024.7 kilograms of illicit ginger-garlic paste across 27 cases and 25,845 kilograms of fruits chemically ripened by 12 distinct syndicates.
Additionally, operations intercepted an alarming 60 tonnes of discarded chicken waste, alongside substantial quantities of contaminated products including 9,260 kilograms of stale pickles, 4,030 kilograms of adulterated khoya, 3,897 kilograms of spurious tea powder, 15 tonnes of low-quality meat, 3,260 kilograms of chemical cream, 530 kilograms of fake ghee, 2,706 kilograms of substandard dry fruits, 2,500 kilograms of adulterated curd, 1,514 kilograms of synthetic paneer, and 120 kilograms of hazardous fried chicken, alongside 34 miscellaneous cases involving ice cream and commercial water plants.
To ensure comprehensive legal follow-up, the police wing has forwarded 247 distinct cases to the GHMC FSOs for formal regulatory prosecution. This administrative transfer is heavily driven by 90 direct complaints filed by vigilant citizens and 70 regulatory infractions discovered at commercial paneer processing units.
The remainder of the enforcement actions targeted 11 samosa production sites, nine commercial water packaging units, seven spice manufacturing centers, six each bakeries and fast-food establishments, five distribution centers, four each institutional hostels and meat retail shops, three each industrial ice plants, and facilities processing chicken waste and unhygienic seafood.
Senior police administrators have reinforced the principle that uprooting organized food adulteration demands an integrated approach rather than isolated efforts by a single agency. To achieve this, H-FAST maintains continuous operational synergy with the GHMC, Food Safety, and Veterinary bodies, allowing top leadership to collaborate closely on structural interventions.
This shared framework significantly optimizes field intelligence, expedites chemical testing workflows, and resolves the complex legal and logistical friction points commonly encountered during sudden field inspections.
Enforcement operations have been tightly paired with systemic prevention campaigns, highlighted by a mandatory directive meeting convened for food business operators, hoteliers, and bakers across the Hyderabad Commissionerate. Establishments were given definitive warnings that capitalising on public health hazards would invite zero tolerance and immediate closure under strict compliance protocols.
All operational entities are now legally mandated to hold active FSSAI accreditation, ensure their service staff utilize protective masks and gloves, adopt the strict First In, First Out (FIFO) inventory protocol to prevent product decay, and completely halt the dangerous practice of repeatedly reusing commercial cooking oil.
Sajjanar expressed gratitude to the government officials and the public for supporting H-FAST, noting that the wing is receiving overwhelming public support, averaging 15 tip-offs regarding food adulteration every day across the Hyderabad Commissionerate.
The Commissioner declared that food adulteration is one of the gravest challenges confronting society today because by damaging kidneys and causing life-threatening illnesses like cancer and heart disease, these offenders are gambling with the lives of ordinary citizens.
He emphasized that toxic chemicals are severely hindering the physical and mental development of young children, which ultimately damages the nation's economy.
Therefore, the department does not view this menace merely as a minor commercial fraud or a simple regulatory breach, but as a heinous attempt to murder innocent people, meaning they will not hesitate to invoke the Preventive Detention Act (PD Act) against the adulteration mafia who breach public trust and destroy lives.