Haryana Food Safety Drive Intensifies: Sampling Up 83%, 50,000 Kg of Sweets and Paneer Destroyed, Seizures Worth Rs 84 Lakh

Chandigarh,

Haryana has intensified its crackdown on suspected food adulteration ahead of the Deepawali festival, with food sampling increasing by nearly 83 per cent year-on-year, seizures of food products valued at approximately Rs 84 lakh and around 50,000 kg of adulterated sweets and paneer destroyed during the special enforcement drive. Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Sumita Misra said that the Food and Drugs Administration, Haryana, is conducting a special Festival Food Safety Enforcement Drive across the State to prevent the manufacture, storage and sale of adulterated and substandard food products and safeguard public health.

From September 1 to November 5, 2026, the State collected 2,375 food samples, compared to 1,301 during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 82.55 per cent. Enforcement sampling increased from 851 to 1,527 (79.44 per cent), while surveillance sampling rose from 450 to 848 (88.44 per cent). Of the 2,375 samples collected during the current period, 861 have been analysed so far. As many as 170 samples were found not conforming to the prescribed standards, including 140 samples declared substandard and 30 found unsafe. The remaining samples are at various stages of analysis.

Departmental records further show that Food Safety Officers carried out 42 seizures between April 1 and November 5, involving food products valued at Rs 83,96,859. Ghee and ghee products alone accounted for more than Rs 51 lakh of the total seizure value. Rewari topped the State in seizure value at Rs 20.02 lakh, followed by Mahendergarh at Rs 16.53 lakh and Jind at Rs 15.21 lakh. Together, these three districts accounted for nearly 62 per cent of the total recorded seizure value. Hisar reported seizures worth Rs 9.43 lakh, Sonipat Rs 8.63 lakh and Panipat Rs 7.03 lakh.

Among the major enforcement actions, officials seized 2,008 kg of desi ghee valued at Rs 16.07 lakh from a dairy in Satnali, Mahendergarh, on November 4. In Narwana, Jind, 2,205 kg of ghee products worth Rs 14.11 lakh were seized on October 30. In Hisar, enforcement teams confiscated 2,695 kg of soybean oil and 2,271 kg of vanaspati oil, together valued at approximately Rs 8.71 lakh, from an establishment in Adampur on May 26. Similarly, Rewari officials seized 1,019 kg of milk cake, 799 kg of khoya burfi and 399 kg of khoya, collectively valued at approximately Rs 9.60 lakh, on October 29.

Special Festival Enforcement Drive

Dr. Misra said that a detailed drive order had been issued to all Food Safety Officers, directing them to intensify inspections, surveillance, sampling and enforcement activities. Special emphasis is being laid on milk, milk products, paneer and sweets, which witness increased consumption during the festival season.

Joint teams are conducting simultaneous raids across different areas of Haryana, while vehicles transporting food products are being checked both within the State and at its border points. Approximately 50,000 kg of adulterated sweets and paneer has been destroyed during the festival enforcement drive. The administration has also stepped up action against substandard dairy products, with more than 13 tonnes of paneer destroyed since April. Nuh district reported destruction of food products worth approximately Rs 16.41 lakh, including 3,000 kg of paneer valued at Rs 9 lakh at Gurjar Nangla on November 1. Other significant actions included the destruction of 1,800 kg of paneer in Yamunanagar, 880 kg in Kaithal and 5,000 litres of milk in Sonipat.

The ACS further said that analogue paneer is prohibited in Haryana and strict directions have been issued to check its manufacture, storage and sale. All Food Safety Officers have been instructed to conduct frequent inspections of manufacturers, stockists, sweet shops and other food establishments.

Sweet manufacturers are being sensitised against the use of prohibited colours in sweets, and consumers are being advised to avoid artificially coloured products. Halwais and restaurants have also been directed to prominently display notices specifying whether sweets and other food items are prepared using desi ghee or edible oils. Such declarations are also required to be printed on boxes used for loose sweets.

Faster Testing and Stronger Surveillance

To accelerate enforcement, dedicated vehicles have been arranged for transporting samples to laboratories, enabling sampling officers to utilise their time more effectively. Both Food Analyst Laboratories at Karnal and Chandigarh have been requested to provide analysis reports within 48 hours, instead of the prescribed period of 14 days, to facilitate prompt regulatory action and prosecution wherever warranted. Five Mobile Food Testing Laboratories (MFTLs/FSWs) are operating in different parts of Haryana to facilitate on-the-spot testing and assist sampling teams. Sampling teams are working round the clock to ensure effective implementation of the festival drive.

All Deputy Commissioners have been requested to constitute surveillance teams, collect surveillance samples and get them analysed through designated laboratories for necessary action. Food Safety Officers have also been directed to coordinate with police officials, the general public, media representatives and officers of neighbouring States to strengthen efforts against food adulteration. Senior officers from Headquarters have been deputed to supervise sampling teams, conduct surprise inspections and raids, and collect evidence against major offenders. To promote consumer awareness, the names and complete addresses of establishments whose food samples fail to meet prescribed standards are being regularly uploaded on the FDA Haryana portal, enabling consumers to make informed choices. Consumer grievances and intelligence inputs received during the festival season are also being taken up promptly.

Consumers have been encouraged to register complaints online through https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/ or via email at jcfood.fda-hry@gov.in. Dr. Misra said that all enforcement and surveillance activities were being closely monitored at Headquarters to ensure effective implementation of the special festival drive. She emphasised that sustained inspections, scientific testing, swift regulatory action and public participation were essential to curbing food adulteration and ensuring the availability of safe and quality food products during Deepawali.