Mumbai FDA busts Milk adulteration racket

In Maharashtra, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has busted a major milk adulteration racket operating out of the Mahape MIDC area in Navi Mumbai, seizing and destroying adulterated dairy products worth lakhs of rupees. According to an official release by the Thane district administration on Monday, a special FDA squad raided M/s P.K. Dairy on August 19 following confidential intelligence. During the raid, officials caught accused Shivendra Shyamlal Jaiswal while diluting milk inside a tanker with a mixture of skimmed milk powder (SMP) and chilled water in collusion with dairy owner Pradeep Kamlesh Yadav. "One kg of skimmed milk powder was mixed with 8 to 10 litres of chilled water using a plunger to adulterate the milk,' which was then supplied as pure cow or buffalo milk to several dairies across Thane, Airoli, Kopri, Digha, and Ghansoli," according to the release.
Authorities shut down the dairy for operating without a valid food safety license. Across multiple raided establishments, officials seized and destroyed 4,710 litres of adulterated and suspect milk valued at Rs 1,85,780 to protect public health. Additionally, FDA teams confiscated 129.5 kg of paneer, 473 kg of skimmed milk powder, and 88.4 kg of cream. An FIR was registered at Turbhe police station on August 22 against 15 individuals and entities involved in the racket, including owners of two dairies and various recipient vendor outlets. The process to cancel the food licenses of all implicated establishments has been initiated.
The FDA suspended the operations of seven prominent food establishments across Mumbai, following an intensive statewide inspection drive conducted on August 19-20, 2026. The sweeps targeted severe hygiene lapses, unhygienic food preparation, and potential misbranding, alongside major crackdowns on prohibited gutkha and adulterated dairy products. Rs14.55 lakh worth of gutkha and prohibited items were seized statewide with 12 FIRs, 18 arrests, and 12 establishments sealed.
In Mumbai, 3 premises were sealed, 6 people arrested, and Rs1.95 lakh worth of banned gutkha seized. Overall, 89 establishments were inspected, with 71 improvement Notices issued, 13 food licences suspended and 22 targeted raids conducted. The FDA confirmed that all suspended establishments are strictly barred from purchasing, preparing, or selling food items until all health code violations are fully rectified and cleared by reinspection.