9 Ghee brands found substandard, unsafe: J&K FDA

Srinagar, Nov 21: Another chapter has been added to the food adulteration saga in Jammu and Kashmir with J&K Food & Drugs Administration today announcing that nine commonly used Ghee brands have been found adulterated and therefore their sale, storage, and distribution stands banned.

The prohibitory order has been issued today by Commissioner Food & Drugs Administration Smita Sethi.

It comes in the wake of a special enforcement drive conducted in September  this year, during which samples of various ghee brands were collected from markets across Jammu and Kashmir.

These samples had been sent to accredited laboratories including the National Food Laboratory (Ghaziabad), FRAC FICCI (New Delhi), and the Food Testing Laboratory (Srinagar). Of the many brand samples sent, nine have been declared sub-standard and, in many cases even unsafe for human consumption.

The key findings include presence of vegetable/foreign fats, Reichert-Meissl (RM) value below the prescribed limit, positive test for Beta-Sitosterol (a plant-based marker indicating adulteration with vegetable oil), abnormal Iodine/Saponification value, and fatty acid profile deviations.

The banned Ghee brands are Shri Godhan Desi Ghee, Eassy Dairy Cow Ghee, Dairy Anmol Desi Ghee, Bhog A2 Desi Ghee, Avik Ghee, Vaariya Brand Ghee, Desi Cow Ghee (GOPI), Ghee Made from Cow’s Milk (KRISHNA Brand) and Desi Ghee (Daawat Gold).

The order has invoked Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and warns that the adulterated ghee poses “potential health hazards to consumers.”FDA Commissioner has directed all wholesalers, retailers, and Food Business Operators (FBOs) to immediately stop sale and distribution of the affected batches and declare existing stock to the concerned Designated Officer within 48 hours. Product recall from the market is expected to start immediately.