Some manufacturers allegedly made synthetic ghee by mixing cheaper ingredients with artificial flavours to mimic the taste, aroma and appearance of genuine ghee, says Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar,The Hyderabad police have cracked down on what they said was a large network producing adulterated ghee using palm oil, vanaspati, starch and artificial flavours, and selling it as “100% Pure Ghee”. On Tuesday (August 18, 2026), the Hyderabad City Police said they had seized 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee and raw materials during a coordinated enforcement drive covering 130 establishments across the city.
“Food adulteration is a serious threat to public health and strict action will be taken against those involved in manufacturing and selling such products,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said at a press conference.He said the operation was conducted by the city police’s Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) along with the Food Safety Department.
Ghee without the milk
Acting on intelligence inputs and information received from members of the public, the teams inspected 39 manufacturing units and 91 ghee-selling outlets
According to Mr. Sajjanar, the product was adulterated using two methods. In the first method, milk or milk fat are not used, and palm oil, vanaspati and artificial ghee flavour was used to imitate taste, aroma, and appearance as cow or buffalo ghee.In the other method, skimmed milk powder, which has almost 0% milk fat, is used; palm oil, vanaspati and starch along with artificial ghee flavour were used to manufacture the product, which does not have milk fat or ingredients, the Commissioner said.
Ingredients genuine ghee needs
The Hyderabad Police Task Force and H-FAST DCP Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath said that genuine ghee is prepared with 95.5% of milk fat, and 30 to 35 litres of milk is needed for preparation of one litre of ghee. If price of the 30-35 litres of milk is calculated along with processing, packing and other expenses, one litre of ghee costs over ₹1500. But adulterated or substandard ghee is available in market at ₹600 to ₹700 per litre.
What was seized?
The seized material included 25.5 tonnes of adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, 1,200 litres of palm oil, 600 litres of vanaspathi, 30 kg of starch and six bottles of artificial ghee flavours.Food safety officials collected statutory samples from the premises for laboratory analysis. The seized material was handed over to the Food Safety Department.
“Public participation is crucial in the fight against food adulteration. Citizens should remain vigilant and report suspected cases so that timely enforcement action can be taken,” Mr. Sajjanar said.
According to the commissioner, the investigation found that the alleged adulteration ranged from 10% to 40%, with the products being supplied to different end-users depending on the level of adulteration.
Where was it supplied?
The products were allegedly supplied as deepam/pooja ghee as well as to restaurants, tiffin centres, sweet manufacturers, bakeries, caterers and Ayurvedic shops. The police also said the adulterated ghee was supplied to dairy shops and hotels, including star hotels.
Several products were allegedly packed in transparent covers and marketed under labels such as “100% Pure Ghee”, “Premium Ghee”, “Farm Fresh Ghee” and “Natural Ghee”.
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Mr. Sajjanar said the food packets inspected did not carry several mandatory details, including batch or lot numbers, FSSAI licence information, certificate of analysis and dates of manufacture, packing, and expiry or use-by.
Raw material from six States
The network also had an inter-State procurement chain, police alleged, adding that the cream used in the manufacturing process was reportedly sourced from suppliers in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The police said manufacturers were able to produce the adulterated product at a much lower cost by replacing genuine milk fat with cheaper ingredients and then selling it as original ghee at a higher price. The products were allegedly distributed across Telangana and neighbouring States.
Health concerns
The police said the use of refined palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein along with various chemical additives and artificial flavours to imitate genuine ghee could pose health risks.
According to the advisory issued by the police, prolonged consumption of products containing excessive trans-fats could contribute to increased LDL cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Officials also flagged possible digestive, liver, kidney, skin and metabolic problems associated with certain additives.
The police, however, said samples collected during the operation would undergo laboratory analysis, which would establish the precise nature and extent of adulteration. Mr. Sajjanar urged consumers to exercise caution while purchasing dairy products.
Measures people can take before buying ghee
“Consumers are strongly advised to purchase ghee, milk and other dairy products only from reputed and licensed vendors and ensure that the packaging has intact tamper-proof seals, complete manufacturer details and a valid FSSAI licence,” he said.
The police also cautioned consumers against buying suspiciously cheap or unbranded ghee sold loose and advised them to avoid sweets and dairy preparations from food outlets without certification.
Phone number to lodge food adulteration complaints
People who suspect food adulteration or unhygienic food preparation can contact Dial 112 or the H-FAST helpline at 8712661212. The police said the identity of informants would be kept confidential.
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