Surat sees 13-fold spike in faux, substandard meals | Surat Information – The Instances of India

Surat: Famed for its legendary avenue meals and die-hard gastronomes, Surat is more and more discovering adulteration on its plate. The well being division of the Surat Municipal Company (SMC) seized over 13 occasions extra adulterated, substandard and pretend meals merchandise in 2025 in comparison with the earlier 12 months.

The sharp spike in seizures was attributed to intensified raids carried out collectively by the civic physique’s meals security division and the police.Whereas SMC seized unsafe ghee, paneer, cheese and different meals merchandise value Rs 14.23 lakh in 2024, the seizures jumped to Rs 1.96 crore in 2025. When it comes to amount, the civic physique seized 4,860 kg of unhealthy meals merchandise in 2024, which surged to 75,356 kg in 2025.Officers stated many of those merchandise have been being manufactured utilizing uncooked supplies aside from milk and have been being bought as real milk-based objects. Such adulterated merchandise have been broadly equipped to eateries, the place they have been utilized in giant portions day by day.“Our drives proceed all year long, and testing is completed at shops chosen randomly or based mostly on particular complaints. The groups conduct general checks of shops on varied parameters together with meals testing,” stated an official from the meals security division.SMC has deployed one workforce of meals security officers in every of the 9 zones to hold out checks of meals shops in the course of the day. Lately, the division additionally started conducting drives throughout night time hours, as many shops start operations late at night time. Every workforce contains three meals security officers.Throughout inspections, groups examine hygiene situations in and across the outlet and confirm whether or not correct waste disposal preparations are in place. Additionally they look at meals objects and acquire samples if any product seems suspicious. As well as, groups confirm the authorized paperwork required for working the outlet.Within the case of eating places, officers additionally acquire well being certificates of workers working on the institution.Samples collected throughout raids are despatched for testing on the SMC laboratory. If the meals is discovered unfit for human consumption, the outlet is penalised by the municipal court docket, officers stated.