Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s health department seized 10,000 kg of suspected adulterated sauce from a production unit in Gota during a food-safety inspection on October 17, according to a report by Sandesh. Officials said the product was being prepared without tomatoes and instead used papaya and potato pulp, along with synthetic colour.
The inspection was conducted at the Aai Shree Khodiyar unit in Gota as part of the municipal health department’s ongoing checks. The report said the action took place on the third day of the current inspection drive, which was focused on protecting residents from potentially unsafe food products.
During the inspection, municipal officials reportedly found that tomatoes were not being used in the sauce. Papaya and potato pulp were allegedly being used extensively as substitutes. The team also found the addition of synthetic colour, described in the report as prohibited. The municipal action treated the stock as suspected fake or adulterated sauce and seized the entire quantity found at the site.
Officials collected multiple sauce samples from the unit and sent them to a laboratory for analysis. The laboratory examination is expected to establish the precise ingredients and substances present in the samples. The report said further legal action will be taken after the test results are received.
The raid also brought renewed attention to the unit’s previous record. The municipal corporation had reportedly carried out another raid at the same premises about two months ago. At that time, officials found substantial dirt and unhygienic conditions in the production area, following which the health department initiated action under applicable rules.
The latest seizure indicates that the municipal department continued monitoring the premises after its earlier intervention. According to the report, officials found that the production of adulterated sauce had allegedly resumed despite the previous action. The unit and the seized stock were subsequently sealed by the authorities.
The case now moves to the laboratory and enforcement stages. The samples will determine whether the ingredients and colour used in the sauce violated food-safety requirements. The municipal corporation’s next legal steps will depend on the findings of the laboratory report and the applicable provisions governing the production and sale of food products.
