Intensive enforcement campaign conducted throughout the night at toll plazas, highways and connecting roads
35 samples of suspected food items collected for testing, irregularities found in 28 vehicles
Food items worth around Rs 20 lakh, including paneer, khoya, milk, namkeen and milk cake, destroyed on the spot
Lucknow, August 2026: Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, the Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttar Pradesh, intensified its crackdown on adulterated, suspected and food products being transported under unhygienic conditions to ensure the availability of safe and quality food to people across the state. Enforcement teams conducted a special overnight campaign from midnight on August 25-26 until dawn, carrying out intensive inspections of food-laden vehicles at toll plazas, highways and connecting roads across several districts.
During the campaign, 97 vehicles were inspected, with irregularities found in 28 vehicles, including suspected or adulterated food products and items being transported under unhygienic conditions. Food safety officers collected 35 samples for laboratory testing and took necessary action on the spot. In addition, around 16.3 quintals of food products, valued at approximately Rs 20 lakh, were found stored or being transported under unsafe and unhygienic conditions and were subsequently destroyed on the spot.
In view of the increased demand for sweets, khoya, paneer, milk, namkeen and other food products during Raksha Bandhan, the department increased surveillance on important routes in the supply chain. The objective of the campaign was not limited to taking action at the level of sale in markets, but also to ensure the inspection of vehicles transporting food products from one district to another.
Departmental teams inspected the hygiene, storage and transportation conditions of food products kept in the vehicles and collected samples of suspected food products, which were sent for laboratory testing.
During the inspection of a vehicle on the Delhi Highway in Mathura, around 1,200 kg of paneer was found. As the quality and conditions of the food product were found to be suspicious, paneer worth approximately Rs 3 lakh was destroyed on spot. One sample was collected for testing in the matter.
Similarly, two vehicles were inspected on the highway in Meerut. Around 10 quintals of khoya were being transported in unhygienic conditions in both vehicles. Khoya worth approximately Rs 3.30 lakh was destroyed and two samples were collected for testing.
On the Ayodhya-Gorakhpur highway, the Food Safety team inspected a vehicle loaded with namkeen. Around 3,416 kg of namkeen was found in the vehicle, with an estimated value of approximately Re 32,000. During the action, around four samples of namkeen were collected for testing.
Meanwhile, two vehicles were stopped and inspected on the Pilkhuwa-Hapur highway. During the inspection, around 1,670 kg of khoya was found under unhygienic conditions. Khoya worth approximately Rs 35,000 was destroyed and five samples were collected for testing.
In Baghpat, four vehicles were inspected on the Delhi route. Of these, around 520 kg of khoya was found stored under unhygienic conditions in two vehicles. Khoya worth approximately Rs 1.44 lakh was destroyed on the spot.
In Aligarh, a milk tanker was inspected on the Noida route. In view of the possibility of adulteration in the milk, around 7,000 litres of milk, with an estimated value of Rs 1.75 lakh, was destroyed. A sample of the milk was also collected for testing.
In Kanpur, the Food Safety team took action on the railway station route and destroyed around 500 kg of unsafe khoya. Its estimated value was stated to be approximately Rs 1.75 lakh.
On the Noida-Delhi route, two vehicles loaded with paneer were inspected. Around 185 kg of paneer was found in the vehicles. Due to the suspicion that the paneer had been manufactured using chemicals, it was destroyed on the spot. The estimated value of the destroyed paneer was approximately Rs 2.75 lakh.
In Gorakhpur, during the inspection of a vehicle coming from the Ayodhya-Basti route, around 600 kg of prepared milk cake-like sweet was found. In view of the conditions, the sweet worth approximately Rs 1.08 lakh was destroyed and one sample was collected for testing.
The action by the Food Safety and Drug Administration underscores the department’s intensified vigilance during the festive season, with monitoring extending beyond markets and shops to the entire food supply chain. Enforcement teams are keeping a close watch on the movement of high-demand food products, including khoya, paneer, milk, sweets and namkeen, to ensure their safe and hygienic transportation. The department remains committed to ensuring that people across the state have access to safe, hygienic and quality food products during Raksha Bandhan. Strict action under the law will continue against those found violating food safety standards, while further legal action will be initiated based on the laboratory test reports of samples collected during the campaign.
