The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated prosecution proceedings against three food businesses after inspections and laboratory tests found serious violations involving Priyagold biscuits, Dodla Dairy milk and yellow raisins sold by UEIR Organic Foods.
The regulator said in a social media post on Saturday that legal proceedings had been initiated against Surya Food & Agro, the manufacturer of Priyagold biscuits; Dodla Dairy; and UEIR Organic Foods. The reported violations include the use of cattle-feed bran in biscuit manufacturing, the presence of detergent or caustic soda in a milk sample, and pesticide residues in yellow raisins.
The action against Surya Food & Agro followed an FSSAI inspection conducted after a consumer complaint. According to the regulator, cattle-feed bran intended for animals was being used as a source of fibre in biscuit manufacturing. The gunny bags containing the material were marked to show that it was meant for cattle feed and not human consumption.
FSSAI also reported deficiencies at the biscuit plant relating to hygiene, pest control, raw-material storage and segregation, personnel hygiene, premises maintenance and the handling of intermediate formulations. The regulator had earlier suspended the company’s licence after identifying serious non-compliances. It has now moved to initiate prosecution against the company.
In the Dodla Dairy case, a regulatory sample of full cream milk was first declared substandard after it failed to meet the prescribed milk-fat specifications. Following an appeal by the company, the sample was sent to a Referral Food Laboratory. FSSAI said the laboratory confirmed that the sample was unsafe because of the presence of detergent or caustic soda and was also substandard because the milk fat was below the minimum prescribed limit.
The findings were treated as violations relating to unsafe and substandard food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The competent authority granted sanction for prosecution against Dodla Dairy and other food business operators associated with the manufacture and marketing of the product, with further proceedings directed in connection with the sample.
FSSAI’s action against UEIR Organic Foods followed the detection of pesticide residues in a sample of yellow raisins sold by the company. The regulator said legal proceedings had been initiated against the business as part of its action over serious food-safety violations.
The cases highlight the role of inspection, laboratory testing and prosecution in enforcing standards across packaged food, dairy and processed-food supply chains. The next steps will be determined through the prosecution proceedings initiated under the food-safety law.
