In a sweeping crackdown ahead of the festive season, the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drugs Administration has declared over 50 ghee samples unsafe and ordered their immediate withdrawal from markets. Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, the department has initiated a special statewide drive to ensure safe and quality food. Under this, 42 products, including ghee and spices, have been ordered for pan-India recall, while the sale of 8 other brands has been banned in their respective districts.

 

The action follows laboratory reports that detected beta-sitosterol - a plant sterol that must be absent in pure ghee - and non-conformity in fatty-acid composition, indicating adulteration with vegetable and foreign fats. Among the major brands that failed quality tests are Anik Ghee 200 ml (Batch DGB13F26A), Shrimool Agmark Shudh Ghee, Amrit Shudh Ghee, Madhusudan Desi Ghee, Gasanta Premium Cow Ghee, and Vastu Agmark Ghee. Districts most affected include Chhindwara, Dhar, Indore, Narmadapuram, Ujjain and Datia. In a related enforcement in Indore, officials seized 640 litres of suspected Vastu ghee worth nearly Rs 3 lakh from Krish Enterprises. The administration has appealed to consumers not to purchase or use the listed batches and to return existing stock to retailers, while all food businesses have been directed to stop purchase, storage and sale immediately.