Fake products sold as popular brands

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 22

The Punjab Government’s food safety wing claims to have unearthed a racket in Mansa where adulterated ghee, prepared from vegetable fat and other concoctions, was being sold under the name of popular brands such as Verka, Amul and Milkfood.

Food Safety and Drug Administration Commissioner KS Pannu said the racket was busted following a raid in a residential area. 

Pannu claimed besides ghee, the accused were preparing fakes of Tata Salt, Good Day Salt, Tide detergent and other products. About 700 packets of Tata Tea Gold filled with inferior-quality tea were also found. 

A large number of labels of various brands were seized, indicating the accused had a vast production and marketing network, said Pannu.

The entire stock, including wrappers and packets, was seized and an FIR registered, he added.

In a similar incident in Sangrur, a mustard oil packer by the name of Ganesh Trading Company was allegedly caught labelling rice bran oil as pure mustard oil. The unit has been sealed following sampling of the seized material.