{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Delhi cracks down on rotten khoya and paneer ahead of festival season, destroys over 2,800 kg",
  "summary": "Delhi's food safety department raided major wholesale markets ahead of the festive season and destroyed more than 2,800 kg of unsafe, unclaimed food, with lab tests also detecting dangerous detergent adulteration in several samples.",
  "content": "With Delhi's festive season approaching, the city's food safety department launched a sweeping crackdown on Monday, targeting major wholesale food markets across the capital. Teams seized and destroyed more than 2,800 kg of khoya, dhaap and butter after the stock turned out to be both unclaimed and unfit for human consumption. The drive was carried out on the instructions of Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, who wanted to make sure that adulterators could not exploit the rush of festival shopping. Singh said, \"There should be absolutely no compromise on food safety in the rush of festival preparations.\" He added that no unsafe or adulterated food should reach the people of Delhi, and that strict action would follow against anyone endangering public health.\n\nFilthy conditions found across markets\nInspection teams combed through markets including Khoya Mandi, Mori Gate, Baag Diwar, Sanjay Market and Janakpuri Mandi, focusing on adulteration, poor storage and substandard quality. At Khoya Mandi, Mori Gate, Baag Diwar and Sanjay Market, officials found nearly 2,830 kg of unclaimed khoya, dhaap and butter lying in extremely unhygienic conditions. The stock was reportedly foul-smelling and already spoiling. Officials made a public announcement asking vendors to come forward and claim the goods, but no one did.\n\nSeizure and destruction under the law\nSince no one claimed ownership, the entire stock was seized under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It was then transported to the MCD dumping site at Majnu ka Tila and destroyed there, preventing it from re-entering the market.\n\nLab tests confirm adulteration\nBeyond what was visible on the ground, laboratory testing turned up further problems. All 10 samples of khoya and cream collected from Mori Gate failed to meet quality standards, meaning every single sample fell short. At Janakpuri Mandi, the team inspected 10 food shops and collected 10 legal samples of paneer. Separately, 28 samples were checked using the food safety wheel, and 4 of them were found adulterated with dangerous detergent. As a precaution, around 150 kg of paneer and 10 kg of khoya were destroyed on the spot to keep the tainted stock from reaching any customer.\n\nContinued vigilance ordered for the festive season\nThe health minister has directed the food safety department to maintain strict vigilance and keep up inspections throughout the festive season. The department has said customer safety remains its top priority and that officials have been instructed to take immediate and strict action wherever adulterated or unsafe food is found.\n\nWhat this means for you\nIf you plan to buy khoya, paneer or sweets from Delhi's markets this festive season, this crackdown affects what actually lands on your plate.\n\n• Across India: Adulteration cases typically spike in every city during the festive season, so checking a shop's hygiene and the smell or colour of dairy products before buying is a smart precaution. Sticking to packaged goods or trusted vendors lowers the risk.\n• In Delhi: Shoppers at Khoya Mandi, Mori Gate, Baag Diwar, Sanjay Market and Janakpuri Mandi should stay alert since adulterated and rotting stock was seized from exactly these markets. Any suspicious purchase can be reported to the food safety department.\n• Health risk: Consuming paneer laced with detergent or spoiled khoya can trigger stomach upset and food poisoning, and repeated exposure carries longer-term risks to the liver and kidneys, so any product with an odd smell or colour should be returned immediately.\n• Festive shopping tip: With demand for sweets and dairy set to rise over the coming weeks, buying with a bill and reporting suspicious stock gives consumers an added layer of protection.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe crackdown came right before the festive season, a period when demand for sweets and dairy products surges and some traders try to cash in by selling substandard or spoiled stock.\n\n• Seasonal demand spike: Rising consumption of khoya, paneer and butter during festivals creates an incentive for quick profits through adulteration and poor storage practices.\n• Unclaimed stock: Most of the seized material went unclaimed by any vendor, indicating it was being sold without anyone taking responsibility for its quality.\n• Pre-existing directive: The health minister had already instructed that food safety must not be compromised amid festival rush, which is why the department moved early with large-scale market raids.\n• What follows: After lab tests confirmed adulteration, the department has made clear that inspection drives will continue throughout the festive season.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. When and where did this raid take place?\nThe action took place on Monday across markets including Khoya Mandi, Mori Gate, Baag Diwar, Sanjay Market and Janakpuri Mandi in Delhi.\n\n2. How much food was destroyed?\nMore than 2,800 kg of unsafe and unclaimed khoya, dhaap and butter were destroyed.\n\n3. On whose instructions was this action carried out?\nThe drive was carried out on the instructions of Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh.\n\n4. Where was the seized stock destroyed?\nThe seized stock was destroyed at the MCD dumping site located at Majnu ka Tila.\n\n5. What did the lab tests find?\nAll 10 khoya and cream samples from Mori Gate failed standards, and 4 out of 28 samples were found adulterated with dangerous detergent.\n\n6. Under which law was the stock seized?\nThe stock was seized under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.\n\n7. How much more food was destroyed on the spot?\nAs a precaution, around 150 kg of paneer and 10 kg of khoya were destroyed on the spot.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/delhi/tyoharon-se-pahale-delhi-men-khoya-panira-aura-makkhana-ka-jakhira-nashta-milavata-para-sakhti-29367",
  "category": "Delhi",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-08",
  "tags": [
    "Food Safety",
    "Delhi",
    "Festivals",
    "Adulteration",
    "Khoya",
    "Paneer",
    "Pankaj Kumar Singh",
    "MCD"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}