Delhi’s food safety department has found 19 of 59 desi ghee samples unsafe for consumption, along with expired food products and unhygienic storage conditions at warehouses, dark stores and other establishments across the city. Officials have suspended licences, issued closure orders and served improvement notices following inspections conducted this week.
The ghee samples were collected from brands sold in markets in Naharpur, Posangipur, Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Rampura, Tagore Garden, Kalyanpuri, Krishna Vihar and Kondli. Four additional samples were classified as substandard, according to the inspection findings reported by the department.
In Uttam Nagar, inspectors found frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, eggless chocolate-chip brownies and cow ghee products that had crossed their use-by dates and were still stored for sale. Some packets of sprouts, fruits and vegetables did not carry expiry dates, making it difficult to establish their safe consumption period.
The inspections also identified several failures in food storage and hygiene. At a facility in Wazirpur Industrial Area, officials found flies, mosquitoes and a lizard. In Ghevra, expired cold drinks and shikanji products were found, while an establishment in Jheel Khureja was not maintaining the prescribed cold-storage temperature.
The Jheel Khureja premises also had cockroaches and spider webs. Inspectors reported dirty and rusted racks, peeling wall surfaces and food items placed directly on the floor. Products were stored on top of spoiled food, while in Asaf Ali Road and Daryaganj, officials found dirty crates and dust in food storage areas. Rat traps were either insufficient or placed in unsuitable locations.
At a store in Rohini, inspectors found no arrangement to segregate food items, raising the risk of contamination between products. The findings are significant for Delhi’s expanding network of warehouses, dark stores and online food suppliers, where storage conditions can affect products before they reach consumers.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said the food safety department had been directed to strengthen monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food through online platforms. “Action must be taken in accordance with the rules wherever food safety standards are violated,” she said, adding that the government’s objective was to ensure access to safe and quality food for every family in Delhi.
The Chief Minister’s Office said the inspections had revealed expired food products, pests, unhygienic storage conditions and shortcomings in maintaining required temperatures at several premises. Officials said action was being taken under the applicable rules. Improvement notices have been issued to the establishments concerned, while licences of businesses selling unsafe ghee have been suspended and closure orders issued.
