The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s food department sealed a home-based food unit in Danilimda after a raid found alleged use of non-permitted chemical dye, repeatedly reheated cooking oil and unhygienic preparation conditions, Gujarat Samachar reported on October 17. Officials also placed 1,010 kg of farsan products and ingredients on hold.
The action was taken at A.N. Gruh Udyog in Goodluck Estate, Danilimda, during inspections ahead of Diwali. According to the report, the premises were found operating amid dirty conditions while preparing farsan for sale. The products mentioned included masala sing, fine sev and farsi puri, along with flour and other materials.
The municipal food team reportedly found that a non-permitted colour, described in the report as a harmful chemical dye, was being used in the farsan. The report said such colours are commonly used to improve the appearance of products such as sev, gathiya, boondi and puri, although the specific quantity of dye found at the premises was not stated.
Officials also found that the same cooking oil was being heated repeatedly for frying. The report linked this practice to a rise in total polar compounds, or TPC, in the oil. TPC is used as an indicator of deterioration in repeatedly heated cooking oil. The food department’s action included holding the stock rather than allowing the listed products and ingredients to continue in sale or production.
The inspection also recorded apparent breaches in worker hygiene. The report said employees at the unit were not wearing hair covers or aprons. It further stated that the packets did not carry proper labelling, leaving the business in violation of food-safety requirements. The unit was sealed following the reported violations.
The report said municipal action in Danilimda followed an earlier seizure of fake tomato sauce in the area. Both incidents occurred during the festive period, when demand for prepared snacks and packaged food rises. The inspections highlight the role of municipal food teams in checking small-scale and home-based food businesses that supply local markets during high-consumption periods.
Gujarat Samachar reported that prolonged consumption of food containing certain unauthorised colours can harm organs such as the liver and kidneys, while repeatedly heated oil has been associated with increased cholesterol and heart-disease risk. The report did not provide laboratory results, medical assessments or details of prosecution proceedings related to the seized stock.
The municipal action currently consists of sealing the premises and placing the reported 1,010 kg stock on hold. Further steps, including testing of samples, disposal of unsafe material or legal proceedings, were not specified in the supplied report.
