Chennai: 1,000 kg adulterated ghee seized from five cottage industries

Chennai: Over 1,000 kg of adulterated ghee was seized from five cottage industries in the city on Tuesday. The food safety department acting on a tip-off raided five places on Shastri street and Bharathi Street in Kaveri Nagar, Saidapet, and found that several tins of ghee were ready to be sent to places for consumption.

“We conducted the raid at around 8 am. An area is a residential place and all five places were family businesses,” said an official of the food safety department.

The problem was that the butter was being sourced from elsewhere and was being mixed with vegetable oil, essence and colours, Kathiravan, a food safety department officer said.

The adulterated ghee would then be packed in their own packets and shipped to the consumers, the officials said. “Another problem was that the packets were made to look like they were sent from a factory from elsewhere. Names like Erode, Thiruporur and Tiruppur, were found on packets,” Kadhiravan said.

Around 1,000 kg of ghee were seized and samples were sent to the food lab for testing. Being perishable, most of the products will be destroyed in a day or two after documenting it, Kadhiravan said, adding that this has been happening in more than 50-60 places in the area.

Frequently inspecting college and school hostels, marriage halls and other such gatherings led them to this place, Kadhiravan said, as the ghee here is only supplied to places which would use it up in a day or two.