500 Kg Paneer, Halwa Seized: Hyderabad Food Safety Teams Conduct Raids

The Malkajgiri special operations team, in coordination with the Malkajgiri Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (MFAST), conducted raids at two food manufacturing units in Hyderabad on Wednesday, with officials seizing around 500 kg of paneer, skimmed milk powder, cooking oil, Dalda and prepared halwa.

The raids targeted Natraj Milk & Milk Food Products in the Alwal area and Yashoda Sweet & Namkeen at Bowrampet, Dundigal, as part of enforcement action aimed at preventing the manufacture and sale of substandard food products.

At Natraj Milk & Milk Food Products, officials allegedly found owner Japala Natraj preparing paneer using skimmed milk powder.

The enforcement teams seized approximately 500 kg of loose paneer and 50 kg of skimmed milk powder. The owner and seized material were handed over to Alwal police for further legal action.

In the second raid at Yashoda Sweet & Namkeen, officials allegedly found in-charge Pushpendra Baghel preparing halwa using vegetable fat, oil and large quantities of skimmed milk powder. The seizure reportedly included more than 80 bags of skimmed milk powder of different brands, 100 tins of Freedom oil, 50 tins of Dalda and around 21 kg of packed halwa.

Officials said the seizures were a preventive enforcement measure intended to safeguard the food supply chain and protect public health.

Further legal action will depend on the findings of the investigation and, where applicable, analysis of food samples.

The Malkajgiri action comes amid a broader TG SAFE enforcement drive covering dairy units across Hyderabad and adjoining districts.

Ten enforcement teams comprising food safety officers and police personnel recently inspected 20 establishments, with 18 samples lifted on suspicion of adulteration and issued improvement notices to 10 establishments, while show-cause notices are proposed against three others.

Venkata Shiva Milk Point at Hayathnagar was closed for allegedly operating without an FSSAI licence under unhygienic conditions.

The FSSAI licences of Sapthagiri Foods at Karmanghat and All Rich Dairy at Pasumamula have also been suspended, with instructions to stop business operations immediately.