Banaskantha: The Food and Drugs Department has busted an alleged fake ghee manufacturing unit at Mahi village in Vadgam taluka of Banaskantha district, seizing suspected adulterated products and raw materials worth about ₹3.67 lakh, officials said.

A team of the Food and Drugs Regulatory Authority (FDRA) conducted a surprise inspection at M. Khushbu Enterprise, located at Plot No. 5900 in Goodluck Estate, Mahi. Preliminary findings indicated that the firm’s owner, Alamdar Ali Abbas Ali Sunsara, was allegedly manufacturing and selling suspicious ghee without the required legal licence or approval.

During the inspection, officials found large-scale production, storage, and sale of suspected ghee prepared using colour, essence, soybean oil, palmolein oil, and other vegetable oils. Investigators also recovered quantities of loose ghee and one-litre packs marketed under the ‘Jainam’ brand, along with adulteration materials including refined soybean oil, palmolein oil, vegetable fat, beta-carotene colour, and artificial flavouring substances.

Authorities said the unit was allegedly producing cow and buffalo ghee under the Jainam brand and distributing it to multiple states. Eight samples of suspected ghee and related adulterants have been collected under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and sent to a government laboratory for analysis.

In total, around 1,513 kg of suspected ghee, valued at ₹3,67,986, has been seized. Legal proceedings have been initiated against those responsible, an FDRA official confirmed. DeshGujarat