Ahmedabad, Oct 28 — The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has suspended the sale of 40,500 kg of mawa, worth an estimated Rs 60.75 lakh, stored at a cold storage facility in the Gomtipur area after finding that the stock did not carry batch numbers or expiry dates during inspections ahead of the Diwali festival.
The civic body's Health and Food Department inspected the facility as part of its drive to check the quality and safety of food products amid a seasonal rise in demand for sweets.
The cold storage facility held approximately 1,02,000 kg of mawa belonging to around 60 vendors, with nearly 80 per cent of the stock attributed to 15 major suppliers.
The largest quantity was found to belong to Radhika Food Products, which had stored 1,380 bags of 30 kg each under the brand names Rajwadi Sweet (Bajrangi) and Indian Dessert (Nilkanth).
The civic body said the stock, totalling 40,500 kg, had been withheld from sale because the batch numbers and expiry dates were not mentioned. The department estimated its market value at Rs 60.75 lakh.
The department also collected six samples of mawa under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, from the firms of Hasmukhbhai Mavawala, Tulsi Mawa Centre, Rajwadi Sweet (Bajrangi), Indian Dessert (Nilkanth), Purohit Mavawala and S K Mavawala. The samples have been sent to the Public Health Laboratory for testing.
The AMC said samples from other vendors would be collected in their presence. The inspections come amid concerns over the ingredients used in sweets sold during the festive season.
The department highlighted the distinction between mawa, also known as khoya, and ready-made sweets such as barfi, which may contain sugar and other ingredients depending on the recipe. Mawa is produced by partially removing water from milk.
The civic body noted that "using ready-made sweets instead of mawa to prepare pedas or other products could change their ingredients, sweetness and taste".
It also cautioned that selling a sweet as a mawa-based product when mawa has not been used could mislead consumers about its composition.
Officials referred to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including Sections 26, 50 and 52, which deal with food business operators' responsibilities, the sale of food that differs from what a customer has requested, and misbranded food.
"Action against a particular shop or product should be based on relevant details and the necessary investigation rather than suspicion alone," they added.
The AMC said inspections and sample collection would continue during the festive season. Establishments found violating food safety requirements could face penalties or sealing under the Act and applicable rules and regulations.