Pune, August 9: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a significant crackdown on edible oil businesses in Beed district as part of its “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” campaign. During a special operation conducted on August 6 and 7, officials raided various oil repackaging units and those selling open oil, seizing approximately ₹1.94 crore worth of 119,187.5 kilograms of edible oil. Additionally, the licenses of five establishments were suspended with immediate effect, halting their operations.
This operation was conducted under the guidance and presence of FDA Joint Commissioner Shrikant Karkale and Assistant Commissioner Nitin Mohite.
On August 6, the FDA raided Swagat Oil Industries located in the Beed MIDC area. The investigation revealed that soybean oil stored in a single tank was being packaged under different categories as ‘refined’ and ‘ultra-refined.’ Moreover, numerous irregularities were found, including the reuse of old tins, unsanitary conditions, absence of a laboratory, lack of quality certificates, and other violations.
From this unit, officials seized 66,652.6 kilograms of edible oil valued at ₹1,05,85,236. Ten samples were also collected for testing. The license of this establishment was immediately suspended, and the unit was shut down.
Serious irregularities were also discovered at Charkha Oil Mill in Beed MIDC. The investigation revealed misleading packaging of palm oil, use of old tins, unsanitary production practices, and missing essential documents.
From this facility, 45,995.7 kilograms of edible oil worth ₹78,22,050 was seized. Eleven samples were taken for analysis, and the establishment’s license was suspended, leading to its closure.
On August 7, during a raid at Jai Hanuman Traders in Wadwani, officials found irregularities such as the use of old tins, unsanitary conditions, and lack of records. Here, 4,545.2 kilograms of edible oil worth ₹7,24,596 was seized, and the establishment’s license was also suspended.
Similarly, 1,746 kilograms of open refined soybean oil worth ₹2,79,360 was seized from Jahnvi Commercials in Majalgaon, where unsafe storage of unlabeled oil and other serious deficiencies were identified.
At Vinayak Oil Industries in Majalgaon, 248 kilograms of refined soybean oil valued at ₹39,680 was seized, with issues of unsafe storage and missing records also noted.
The FDA stated that strict action was taken against all five establishments to ensure public health and consumer safety. The department urged citizens to purchase edible oil only from licensed vendors and to check for the FSSAI license number, manufacturing and expiry dates, and proper labeling on packages.
The FDA clarified that such special operations will continue across the state to ensure that people have access to safe and quality food products, reinforcing the effectiveness of the “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” campaign.
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