Dead lizards, mosquitoes, spiders and cobwebs found in pickle storage tanks at Shri Shyam Foods; premises sealed and food business suspended
Jaipur, October 2026: The Rajasthan Food Safety Department has seized approximately 85,000 kilograms of pickles and raw materials at Shri Shyam Foods in Muhana Mandi, Jaipur, after an inspection revealed serious hygiene violations, including dead lizards, mosquitoes, spiders and cobwebs inside pickle storage tanks.
The action was taken under the state government's Shuddh Aahar–Milawat Par Waar (Pure Food–Crackdown on Adulteration) campaign, launched to ensure the availability of safe and hygienic food products to the public.
The campaign is being conducted under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar, under the direction of Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Gayatri Rathore. Acting on the instructions of Food Safety and Drug Control Commissioner Avichal Chaturvedi, a central food safety team and the office of the Chief Medical and Health Officer, Jaipur-II, inspected Shri Shyam Foods.
Dead lizards and severe unhygienic conditions found
During the inspection, officials found approximately 100 plastic storage tanks in the firm's basement containing different varieties of pickles and raw materials.
The tanks contained around 5,000 kilograms of prepared pickles and approximately 80,000 kilograms of raw materials, including carrots, raw mangoes, lemons and chillies, intended for processing.
An examination of the tanks revealed mosquitoes, spiders and cobwebs. Dead lizards were also found in one or two tanks. Officials further reported extremely unhygienic conditions across the premises, with broken windows and damaged mesh screens.
85,000 kg of material seized for destruction
The food safety team collected samples of sauce, mixed pickles and mango pickles for laboratory testing. In addition, approximately 1,700 kilograms of packaged pickles and sauces were seized.
Given the possibility of contamination, officials have initiated the process of destroying approximately 85,000 kilograms of pickles and raw materials.
Premises sealed, food business suspended
To prevent the suspected contaminated products from being illegally sold or removed, the authorities sealed the premises and prohibited food business operations until further orders.
The designated Food Safety Officer for Jaipur-II has also been directed to initiate the prescribed procedure for suspending the firm's food licence.
Additional Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Control Bhagwat Singh was present during the operation.
Legal action under Food Safety Act
Authorities are examining the case under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The investigation will focus on the provisions concerning unsafe food, as defined under Section 3(1)(zz), and the responsibilities of food business operators under Section 26.
If laboratory tests establish that the products are unsafe, punitive action will be taken in accordance with the applicable legal provisions, including Section 59, which prescribes penalties for offences involving the manufacture, storage or sale of unsafe food. Depending on the nature of the violation, the law provides for imprisonment and fines.
Irregularities detected at Pioneer Natural Products
In a separate operation, the department inspected Pioneer Natural Products, also located in Muhana.
Officials found irregularities involving misleading health-related claims on food products and incomplete addresses on product labels. Samples of the relevant food items were collected for laboratory testing, and the available stock concerned was seized.
The firm has been directed to stop manufacturing and selling the products concerned until further orders. Further action will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the applicable rules.
The Food Safety Department reiterated that negligence in matters affecting public health would not be tolerated. It said inspections and enforcement measures would continue against violations of rules governing hygienic food production, sanitation, storage, packaging and labelling.
