Madurai: Food safety officials have unearthed an illegal ghee manufacturing unit which has been producing adulterated ghee and supplying it in Madurai and other districts. Based on a tip, a team of officials conducted a search at the unit functioning in a two-storied house in a residential locality on Theni Main Road last week. On Thursday, the officials seized the ghee and sent samples for lab testing.
It was the second such unit unearthed in the city in just two weeks. Officials suspect that many such units could be running in the city and peripheral areas on the sly. It was functioning in a 1,500squarefeet rented house located at Jai Nagar near HMS Colony on the Madurai -Theni main road. The team of officials was led by designated officer for food safety, Madurai district, Dr M Somasundaram.
At least one tonne of adulterated ghee, which was packed and kept ready for despatch were found in the unit functioning in the ground floor of the house. Residents were not aware as to what was being manufactured in the house. They say that they have seen employees going in and out of the house regularly. They have also seen cartons being loaded into vehicles to be distributed elsewhere. “We did not know what was happening inside the house. They would not talk to others in the neighbourhood,” said a woman who did not want to be identified.
Vanaspati was diluted using cooking oil and ghee flavour added to the mixture to make it look and feel like ghee. The officials also seized a large quantity of packed ghee, empty pouches and machine used for packing. There were also a large number of empty tins of cooking oil and vanaspati. A detailed investigation was under way to find out whether it was part of a well-oiled network. Although it was mentioned in the finished products that it was meant only for lighting, officials said that the unlettered would not be able to distinguish it. Dr M Somasundaram said that while the manufacturing and packing were done at the house, the address on the sachets was of Erode.
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