Telangana Raids 95 Sweet Shops, Seizes Over 100 Kg Of Adulterated Food Before Diwali

In a major pre-Diwali push for food safety, Telangana's Food Safety teams carried out an extensive statewide enforcement drive, inspecting sweet manufacturing units and retail outlets. The inspections revealed widespread hygiene lapses and adulteration issues across the state as it gears up for the Diwali festivities.

The crackdown, covering all 33 districts, uncovered rampant use of banned ingredients, poor sanitation, and the sale of expired products.

Out of the 95 sweet units inspected, enforcement teams identified several critical violations. The most significant finding was the persistent use of synthetic food colours in milk-based sweets such as jalebi, laddus, and khoya items, a direct violation of food safety norms.

Inspectors also found adulterated ghee and reused cooking oil being used in sweet preparation. Several units were found using non-food-grade silver foil on sweets, compounding the issue of poor hygiene and sanitation standards throughout the premises.

#FoodSafetyTelangana #Diwali2025 Food Safety Drive across Telangana
As part of statewide festive inspections, teams conducted special #FoodSafety drives across all 33 districts covering sweet manufacturing units and retailers.
· 95 sweet units were inspected statewide.
· 77… pic.twitter.com/pKfcXPgZYR

— Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana (@cfs_telangana) October 18, 2025

Retail inspections revealed the stocking and sale of unlabelled and expired food products. Authorities seized over 60 kg of sweets, 40 kg of bread, and other adulterated food items. Contaminated and colour-infused sweets were discarded on-site, and improvement notices were issued to establishments operating under unhygienic conditions.

The intensive pre-Diwali drive saw teams collect 77 enforcement samples and 157 surveillance samples, all of which have been sent to the Food Testing Laboratory (FTL) for detailed analysis. Spot testing was also conducted wherever Food Safety on Wheels vehicles were available, providing immediate feedback on product quality. The results from the lab analyses are currently awaited.

The special inspections were carried out as part of the statewide festive checks under the #FoodSafetyTelangana initiative, in line with the national @fssaiindia #EatRightIndia campaign.

Following the crackdown, authorities issued a strong consumer advisory urging caution during the festive season, especially when purchasing sweets, milk, and milk-based products.

Consumers have been advised to buy items only from licensed and hygienic outlets displaying a valid FSSAI registration number. They should avoid sweets with excessively bright or unnatural colours or those covered with non-food-grade silver foil, insist on proper packaging, and always check the Date of Manufacture and Best Before date. Products that appear stale or emit an unusual odour should be strictly avoided.