40,000 Kg Suspicious Mawa Seized in Ahmedabad Ahead of Diwali, Samples Sent for Lab Tests

Ahmedabad's food safety concerns have resurfaced ahead of Diwali after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Food Department seized 40,000 kg of suspicious mawa from a cold storage facility in Gomtipur. Mawa, or milk solids, is commonly used to prepare Indian sweets.

The stock was reportedly linked to a confectionery manufacturing firm named Radhika Food Products. Officials found it did not carry batch numbers or expiry dates, prompting them to collect samples and send them to a central laboratory for testing.

Inspection ahead of festive demand

An official from the AMC Food Department said inspections were being conducted at various locations across Ahmedabad ahead of Diwali. During one such inspection, officials discovered the suspicious stock at the Gomtipur cold storage facility.

The absence of batch numbers and expiry dates raised concerns about the product's traceability and prompted further examination. Samples have been sent to a central laboratory, and officials are awaiting the report before drawing conclusions about the product's quality.

Follows earlier paneer and sauce seizures

The seizure comes amid heightened demand for sweets during the festive season and follows earlier recoveries of suspected adulterated paneer and counterfeit tomato sauce in the city. However, the quality of the seized mawa has not yet been established.

The discovery of another substantial stock of a food ingredient ahead of the festive rush has renewed questions about food safety monitoring and the supply chain for products used in sweets and other popular preparations.

Lab report will decide the case

With mawa widely used in festive delicacies, the laboratory findings will be crucial in establishing whether the seized stock was safe for consumption. The AMC Food Department is continuing its inspections as demand for sweets and other food products rises ahead of Diwali.

For now, the 40,000 kg stock remains suspicious because of the missing batch and expiry details. No conclusion on adulteration can be drawn until the laboratory report is available.