Health Dept raids shop near Ludhiana's Gill Chowk, seizes 1,500kg ‘desi ghee’

Acting on a tip-off, the Health Department carried out a surprise raid at a shop near Ludhiana's Gill Chowk. During the operation, the team recovered approximately 1,500 kg of suspected desi ghee, which was allegedly being stored and distributed in violation of the food safety norms.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the consignment had been recently brought from another state and was being supplied to multiple locations across the city. The department has taken serious note of the matter and further investigation is underway.

During the inspection, a total of four samples of various food items were collected for laboratory analysis. These included two samples of desi ghee, one sample of skimmed milk found to be expired and one sample of multi-source edible oil. Officials also observed that certain products stored on the premises had already expired in 2024 but were still kept for distribution.

The raid was conducted by a team, including District Health Officer, Dr Ashish Chawla, Food Safety Officers Yogesh Goyal and Jatinder Virk.

Civil Surgeon Ramandeep Kaur said: “The department is committed to ensuring the safety and quality of food products available to the public. Strict action will be taken against those found violating food safety standards.”

District Health Officer Ashish Chawla said: “The seized material and collected samples will be thoroughly examined. Further action will be initiated based on laboratory reports, and continuous monitoring will be carried out to prevent such practices.”

The Health Department has initiated necessary legal proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act and further investigation is in progress.