Surat: In yet another instance of food safety issues coming to light, a suspected fake ghee manufacturing unit was busted by police during a raid in the Kamrej area. Kamrej Police raided a factory in Shreeji Industrial Estate, Navagam, on a tip-off and seized and sealed a large quantity of refined oil and cream allegedly used for the production of counterfeit ghee.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the factory had been in operation for only the last 15 days. The whole operation was based in a closed shed on the industrial estate to avoid attracting attention.

During the raid, police recovered 140kg of highly suspicious cream used in the production of fake ghee and 15 large cans of cheap refined oil commonly available in the market. Health experts say the operators were allegedly mixing low-quality oil and cream with several essences and chemicals to make a product that mimicked the aroma, texture and appearance of pure ghee.

All suspicious materials found at the site were immediately seized and sealed by the police, and the Food and Drugs Department of Surat district was informed. Food inspectors rushed to the factory and collected samples of the suspected ghee from the factory and machinery.

The samples have been sealed and sent to a government lab for analysis. Kamrej Police said an FIR will be filed against the owner and operators of the factory under relevant sections of the law for endangering public health once the official laboratory report is received. The findings could lead to further legal action, including arrests. DeshGujarat