100 kg of adulterated sweets seized across Telangana; Are your Diwali treats safe?

With Diwali just around the corner, Telangana’s food safety teams swooped through 33 districts, inspecting 95 sweet‑shops and seizing over 100 kg of adulterated sweets, breads and other festive food items. what does this mean for your family’s celebrations?

Hyderabad: In a major effort to ensure festive food safety, the state‑wide crackdown in Telangana covered all 33 districts and focused on sweet manufacturing units and retail outlets. A total of 95 sweets units were inspected, and enforcement teams uncovered blatant food‑safety violations. Among the key findings: synthetic food colours being used in milk‑based sweets such as jalebi, laddus and khoya items; unlabelled and expired products being sold; and improper hygiene standards throughout the supply chain.

Adulteration and hygiene lapses exposed

The most alarming discovery was the persistent use of synthetic food colours in preparations of milk‑based sweets. On top of that, inspectors found adulterated ghee and reused cooking oil being used in sweet preparation, as well as sweets covered with non‑food‑grade silver foil — a combination of violations that undermine both the safety and integrity of festive foods. Many premises also revealed serious hygiene deficits: poor sanitation, pest infestations, lack of proper worker protective gear, inadequate drainage and storage, and absence of valid licensing.

Seizures and sample testing ramped up

During the drive, over 60 kg of sweets and more than 40 kg of bread and other adulterated food items were seized and destroyed on the spot. The teams collected 77 enforcement samples and 157 surveillance samples, all of which have been dispatched to the Food Testing Laboratory (FTL) for detailed analysis. In addition, spot‑testing was carried out via “Food Safety on Wheels” units wherever available, giving immediate feedback on product quality.

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Regulatory campaign and consumer advisory

The initiative is part of the state’s #FoodSafetyTelangana campaign, aligned with the national Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) “#EatRightIndia” programme. Authorities have issued a consumer advisory urging buyers to remain vigilant during the festive season:

• Only purchase sweets and milk‑based products from licensed outlets clearly displaying the FSSAI registration number.
• Avoid sweets with unnaturally bright or overly intense colours, or those wrapped in non‑food‑grade silver foil.
• Always check the “Date of Manufacture” and “Best Before” or expiry date on packaging.
• If the product appears stale, smells unusual, or is packed in unhygienic conditions, do not purchase it.

What this means for consumers

With the demand for festive sweets soaring ahead of Diwali, these findings raise serious concerns about quality control across the supply chain. The use of synthetic colours and adulterated oils not only violates food‑safety norms but also poses health risks especially for children or those with sensitivities. The visible hygiene withdrawals underline the importance of selecting trusted vendors and inspecting packaging.