2 held for manufacturing and selling adulterated food in Telangana’s Mailardevpally

HYDERABAD: The Police in Mailardevpally on Monday apprehended two individuals for their alleged involvement in manufacturing and selling adulterated and harmful food items. The arrests came after police received information that adulterated food products were being prepared and supplied from locations in Subhan Colony and Laxmiguda.

According to an official police statement, action followed a tip-off received on March 16 about illegal food preparation activities in the area.

“On March 16, we received reliable information that a person was making adulterated food items in Subhan Colony and Laxmiguda, using adulterated and harmful ingredients, in violation of the regulations. We immediately went and raided and found that a person resident of Subhan Colony in the name of Lucky Foods Company at Subhan Colony and other person resident of Brundavan Colony, Laxmiguda in the name of M/s Zee Foods, without following any regulations and cleanliness, brought spoiled food items in an unhygienic environment and sold it to others,” the statement said.

Police said the accused were preparing food items by mixing chemicals and selling them to local shops in Hyderabad. “They said that they were preparing adulterated food items by mixing chemicals and selling it to local shops in Hyderabad and various shops,” the release added.

During the raid, authorities seized several items allegedly used in the preparation of adulterated products. These included vanilla powder flavour (expired), 10 kg of sodium benzodiamine, one small box of raspberry red colour, one small box of lemon yellow colour, 98 boxes of Mothichore laddu, and 35 kg of loose Mothichore laddu material. The total value of the seized property has been estimated at Rs 1.10 lakh, police said.

Earlier, on March 14, Hyderabad Police arrested two persons in raids on illegal manufacturing units producing adulterated ginger-garlic paste under unhygienic conditions in Sasthripuram and Udangadda area.

According to the police, the accused were found using low-quality raw materials mixed with salt, hazardous chemicals like titanium dioxide, and xanthan gum powder to increase thickness and enhance colour, posing a severe threat to public health.

The police also seized 1800 kg of ginger-garlic paste, 2 kg of xanthan gum, 2 kg of titanium dioxide, synthetic food colour, seven packing machines, three grinding machines, and 2 weighing machines. (ANI)