In a major crackdown against food adulteration, the food safety department in Kota has uncovered a large-scale fraudulent operation. During a surprise inspection at Keshav Agro Industries located in the Krishna Nagar Rangbari area, officials discovered that ordinary refined oil was being packaged and sold to unsuspecting customers under the label of authentic wood pressed oil. Following the raid, authorities seized a total of 840 kg of suspicious oil from the premises, which included 600 kg of refined rice bran oil and 240 kg of Sri Anantam wood pressed rice bran oil. The investigation revealed that apart from rice bran oil, refined varieties of sesame, linseed, and mustard oils were also being falsely bottled and marketed as traditional wood-pushed variants. These products were being listed and sold to consumers through the online retail platform Amazon at significantly inflated prices.
Discovery of Packaging Materials and High Profit Margins
During the thorough inspection, the enforcement team recovered numerous tins of various refined oil brands, wrappers specifically printed with wood pressed oil branding, and ready-to-sell bottled units. The search yielded 40 tins of Sarvottam brand refined rice bran oil, with each tin containing 15 kilograms of the product. According to officials, the procurement cost of this oil was approximately 170 rupees per kilogram. This very same oil was being transferred into one-liter bottles carrying the Sri Anantam brand label and marketed online as premium wood pressed rice bran oil for around 350 rupees per liter. At the time of the intervention, 240 such packaged bottles were found ready for distribution and were promptly confiscated by the inspectors.
Sample Collection and Absence of Valid Documentation
Food safety officials collected formal samples of both the bulk refined rice bran oil and the packaged wood pressed variants in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards Act. Following this, the 40 tins and 236 packaged bottles were officially sealed. Further inspection inside the facility revealed packaged stocks of wood pressed mustard, linseed, and sesame oils, prompting the team to collect individual samples for laboratory analysis as well. The seller admitted during questioning that these oils were sourced from Shriram Oil Mills located in Bundi. He stated that the raw oil was purchased at a rate of 180 to 200 rupees per kilo and subsequently retailed between 350 and 500 rupees per kilo. However, the vendor failed to present any valid purchase bills or legal documents to substantiate his claims that the acquired stocks were genuine wood pressed oils rather than refined alternatives.
A notable finding during the operation was that while packaging activities for wood pressed oil were actively underway, there was no traditional oil-mill machinery or expeller operating on the site. Consequently, the food safety department instructed the vendor to halt all such packaging practices until further orders. Under the same ongoing statewide drive, the department also inspected Mex Food situated in Indira Vihar, where three separate samples of curd, wheat flour, and iodized salt were collected for testing. The inspection at this second location exposed compliance failures, as the establishment lacked mandatory medical records for food handlers and possessed no pest control certification. As a result of these violations, improvement notices under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act are being issued to both investigated establishments. Department officials warned that failure to comply with the directives outlined in the notices will lead to immediate proceedings for the suspension of their operating licenses.
