Pune FDA Action: Artificial Colour Found In Fried Green Peas, Goods Worth ₹19 Lakh Seized
Pune FDA Action: Artificial Colour Found In Fried Green Peas, Goods Worth ₹19 Lakh Seized
Pune, June 2, 2026: Under the guidance of Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), conducted a special enforcement drive in Pune district, and raided five locations in Ambegaon and Khed talukas. During the operation, food products and other items worth ₹19.03 lakh were seized, according to Assistant Commissioner (Food), Pune Division, D.V. Bhogawade.
During inspections in Manchar, Ambegaon taluka, officials found prohibited food products, including gutkha, pan masala, and similar banned items, being stored and sold from two small warehouses located behind Sairaj Pan and Tea House and Samiksha Cold Drink, General and Kirana Store. Stock worth ₹30,395 was seized. A case has been registered at Manchar Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FDA also inspected Khemraj Food Industries Pvt. Ltd. in Manchar and found that the establishment was operating without the required licence or registration. Food products including maida, besan, atta, and other items weighing 19,886 kg and valued at ₹10.49 lakh were sampled for laboratory analysis and seized.
In Khed taluka, officials inspected Ujjwal Supari at Khalchi Bhamburwadi and found the business operating without a valid licence or registration. Suspecting the stored supari to be substandard or unsafe for consumption, the FDA seized 1,898 kg of stock valued at ₹8.16 lakh.
At Om Sai Farsan in Narhe village, inspectors found evidence suggesting the use of artificial colouring in fried green peas. Samples of the product and the colouring agent used were collected for testing. A total of 68 kg of stock worth ₹7,480 was seized on suspicion of adulteration.
The operation was carried out by a team of Food Safety Officers including Swati Marke, Supriya Jagtap, Santosh Sawant, Satish Hake, Prakash Kachwe, Laxmikant Salve, Abhijit Zhodge, Aditya Joshi, and Saket Suryawanshi, along with sample assistant Salve. The drive was conducted in the presence of Assistant Commissioner (Food) Narayan Sarkate and Pradeep Ambare, under the directions of Joint Commissioner (Food), Pune Division, D.V. Bhogawade.
The FDA stated that similar enforcement drives against establishments involved in the production, storage, or sale of adulterated, substandard, or illegal food products will continue. Citizens have also been urged to report such activities to the administration to help safeguard public health.
