AHMEDABAD : The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prohibited, with immediate effect, the sale of all variants of ghee manufactured, stored or sold by M/s SDP Industries Private Limited, based in Ringanwada, Daman, citing repeated non-compliance and concerns over the presence of foreign or vegetable fats.
The prohibition applies to ghee products sold under brands including “SHRADDHA”, “SHREE SARAS” and “GOKUL”, among others, and will remain in force until further orders.
β-Sitosterol Detected in Ghee Samples
The regulatory action follows an enforcement inspection and sampling exercise conducted on 19 May 2026. Multiple ghee samples from the company were found to be non-compliant during laboratory testing.
According to the Food Safety authority, the samples contained β-sitosterol, a plant sterol whose presence is not permitted in ghee, along with deviations in the required fatty-acid composition.
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The findings indicate the possible presence of foreign or vegetable fats, raising concerns regarding the authenticity and compliance of the products.
Repeated Non-Compliance Reported
FSSAI stated that the latest action was not based on an isolated incident. Previous enforcement and surveillance samples collected during 2024 and January 2026 had also reportedly shown non-conformity in several critical parameters.
These included:
- β-sitosterol
- Fatty-acid profile
- Butyro-refractometer (B.R.) reading
- Reichert-Meissl (R.M.) value
- Saponification value
- Polenske value
The company had also previously faced adjudication proceedings concerning non-compliant ghee.
An adjudication order dated 18 August 2023 resulted in a penalty in a sub-standard ghee case. Subsequently, proceedings under Section 64 of the Food Safety and Standards Act led to another fine on 14 October 2025.
Referral Laboratory Confirmed Non-Conformity
In the latest case, the Food Business Operator exercised its statutory right to appeal against the initial laboratory findings.
The appealed samples were subsequently sent to a Referral Food Laboratory for re-analysis. Reports received in August 2026 confirmed non-conformity in the tested samples, strengthening the regulatory basis for further action.
Ban Covers All Ghee Variants
Given what FSSAI described as the repeated and continuing nature of non-compliance across multiple samples, periods and variants, the Designated Officer concluded that the issue could not reasonably be restricted to a particular batch or product.
Consequently, the prohibition covers all variants of ghee manufactured, stored or sold by SDP Industries from its authorised premises, irrespective of brand, product name, type, batch or lot.
The authority has directed that the affected ghee products must not be sold or placed in the market with immediate effect and until further orders.
Regulatory Action Taken in Public Interest
The prohibition has been imposed under Section 36(3)(b) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, read with the applicable food safety rules and regulations.
FSSAI described the measure as a preventive action taken in the interest of public health and consumer safety.
The case highlights the importance of authenticity testing in the ghee sector, where parameters such as β-sitosterol, fatty-acid profile, RM value, BR reading, saponification value and Polenske value are important indicators in assessing compliance and detecting the possible presence of non-milk fats.
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