A fake ghee factory operating in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, has been raided by the police, leading to a major crackdown on food fraud. On January 2, 2025, authorities found a factory where hazardous ingredients like urea, palm oil, and synthetic essences were being used to create fake ghee.
This fake ghee was packaged to look like well-known dairy brands and sold to consumers at high prices. Let’s break down the key details of this operation and its impact.
The illegal factory, branded "Shyam Agro," was a tin shed situated in the Tajganj locality of Agra. During a raid, police recovered 25,500 kilograms of counterfeit ghee along with raw materials like palm oil, urea, refined oils, and Vanaspati ghee. All these were mixed together to make fake ghee to be sold to consumers. The fake ghee was packed in packaging materials from 18 popular brands, including Amul, to trick people into thinking they were buying the real product.
Suraj Kumar Rai, DCP City, while elaborating on the scenario, said, "We discovered packaging materials from 18 brands along with large quantities of essence, urea, palm oil, refined oils of various types, and Vanaspati ghee."
He also said that ghee was being made cheaply at ₹175 per kilogram but it was being sold at ₹650 per kilogram to customers.
The operation was huge in scale. During the raid, police recovered 50 tins marked with the Amul brand, all packed and ready to be transported to the nearby city of Meerut. The operation was not restricted to Agra alone. The factory had several storage houses at different places in the city, with fake ghee dispensed not only locally but also to various districts and even other states. That explains how large-scale and serious the operation was.
Who was behind this operation?
The police arrested five people, including the factory manager, during the raid. These arrests have thrown light on how well-planned and organized the operation was. The factory was registered in Gwalior but was operating in Agra, which indicates that this illegal activity had been running for some time. Investigations are still ongoing, and the authorities are trying to uncover the full network behind this illegal production and distribution of fake ghee.
What are the health risks?
This fake ghee is not only an economic scam but also a public health risk. The fake ghee was prepared with harmful ingredients such as urea and synthetic essences, which may cause serious health issues if consumed. The ghee was sold as a premium product, making people believe they were buying a high-quality dairy product when, in fact, they were putting their health at risk.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now taken a step in investigating the matter and ensuring strict legal action is taken against the wrongdoers. Legal charges will be filed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, which deals with food safety in India. Authorities are also taking steps to impose stricter rules that would not let such fraud take place in the future. The aim is to ensure that most people can trust the food they purchase while at the same time avoiding such horrific acts of deception.
The police are further investigating to see who else could be involved in the distribution network. The number of arrests already made is only the beginning to unmask the entire operation which had managed to fool so many.
The authorities are working hard to bring everyone to justice.