Hyderabad: Acting on a tip-off, the South-East Zone Task Force team, along with the staff of Bandlaguda Police Station, cracked down on a ginger-garlic paste manufacturing unit operating under the name FK Food Product at Patel Nagar, Bandlaguda. The raid uncovered a large stash of adulterated ginger-garlic paste meant for unsuspecting customers and led to the arrest of one person.
Police identified the accused as Mohammed Faisal, 44, a resident of Patel Nagar who runs the business from his home. Officials seized a staggering 870 kilograms of the spurious paste, 4 kilograms of titanium dioxide, 16 kilograms of mono citrate, and 4 kilograms of turmeric powder allegedly used for colouring. The total haul is estimated at ₹1.4 lakh.
Investigators allege that Faisal’s operation posed a serious health threat, as the chemicals used are not permitted for food processing under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. According to police, the suspect was mixing these chemicals into the paste and distributing the product to local kirana shops and private customers, bypassing safety regulations and putting consumers at risk.
Police say titanium dioxide, often used in industrial products, and other additives found on site are not fit for human consumption and can cause severe health problems. “By adding these substances to the paste, the accused endangered public health for his own profit,” said an officer involved in the investigation.
The raid was carried out under the supervision of Sri S. Saidababu, Inspector of Police, South-East Zone Task Force, with the support of sub-inspectors Sk. Kaviuddin, P. Sairam, M. Madhu, PC B. Shiva Lingam, and staff from the Bandlaguda Police Station.
