With Holi around the corner, markets in Uttar Pradesh are filling up with sweets, snacks, and festive treats. At the same time, the state’s food safety authorities have stepped up their efforts to ensure that what reaches people’s homes is safe to eat. The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration, commonly known as the FSDA, has launched a series of inspections to prevent the sale of expired or unsafe food during the festive season.

As part of this drive, FSDA teams carried out raids on Thursday (26th February) across several areas in Lucknow. During one such inspection at a Haldiram storage facility in the Fazullaganj area, officials discovered around 1 quintal and 12 kg of expired Son Papdi and Rajbhog. These sweets, which are popular during festivals, had crossed their expiry date. The cost of the expired Haldiram sweets was estimated to be around ₹45 thousand. Officials immediately disposed of the entire stock on the spot to prevent it from entering the market.

Alongside this, the team also collected samples of assorted Peda, Rasgulla, Gulab Jamun, Petha and Gujia for further testing. These samples have been sent to a laboratory to check whether they meet safety standards.

The action was not limited to sweets. In other parts of the city, the FSDA seized 10415 kg of expired spices and Khoya, estimated to be worth ₹55.91 lakh. The officials sent 15 samples to the laboratory for analysis. One major raid took place at Swaroop Cold Storage in Aishbag. There, the team confiscated 8,499 kg of pepper valued at ₹53,24,550, a separate load of 1,538 kg of black pepper valued at ₹1,53,800 and 378 kg of Khoya worth ₹1,13,400. These items were taken into custody as part of the ongoing checks.

The inspection teams also visited Globe Cafe in Mahanagar, where they collected samples of paneer and gujiya and sent them for laboratory analysis. If samples fail the test, further action will follow as per the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. This law gives authorities the power to take strict steps against businesses found selling unsafe food.

Beyond raids, the FSDA has also focused on public awareness. On Thursday, the department’s “Food Safety on Wheels” team conducted a special campaign in the Madiyanva area located on the Sitapur road. Officials advised people not to buy brightly coloured Papad and Kachori that are sold openly. They explained that such items often contain banned synthetic colours. These colours can cause serious stomach ailments, digestive disorders, allergies in children, and, in the long run, can contribute to serious illnesses such as cancer. The campaign aimed to help consumers make safer choices during the busy festive period.

Inspections Expand to Kannauj and Bulandshahr

The drive against unsafe food has not been limited to Lucknow. About three days ago, on 24th February, a team from the FSDA collected samples of food items like oil, flour, pickles, colored boondi, and namkeen in other districts. Around 1.5 quintals of spoiled food items were destroyed, including items sold by local vendors.

Speaking about the action taken, Chief Food Safety Commissioner Santosh Kumar Srivastava said, “Our team took action yesterday and got the cheese sample tested… A vendor was carrying cheese, so he was stopped and tested, but due to fear, he left the cheese and ran away…” His statement highlighted the seriousness of the inspections and the response from some vendors.

Further details were shared by the FSDA’s Assistant Food Commissioner, Vineet Kumar, while speaking to the media on Friday (27th February). He said that three teams have been conducting inspections in different areas, including Shikarpur and Sikandrabad. The teams have collected some samples and sent them for lab analysis.

Explaining the ongoing operations, Kumar stated, “We have formed three teams that are conducting inspections in different areas. A raid has been carried out by one team in Shikarpur town. From here, we have collected samples of paneer and barfi from two shops. In Sikandrabad, at a Flipkart warehouse, we took action and collected 5 samples, which we are sending for testing… In January, we received a complaint, so samples of Patanjali ghee were taken from there; that ghee was declared unsafe by the lab. We are conducting a full investigation, and we have also issued notices to both companies…”

The inspections are ongoing, and laboratory reports are awaited. Authorities have made it clear that if any sample is found unsafe, strict action will be taken according to the law. With Holi approaching, the focus remains on ensuring that celebrations are marked by safe and quality food rather than health risks.