Hyderabad, August 4: In one of the city’s biggest food safety enforcement drives, the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) has seized more than 25,000 kilograms of suspected adulterated spices during coordinated raids on spice processing units, warehouses, and trading establishments across the city. Officials alleged that several batches of spices had been mixed with harmful substances, including cloth dye and talcum powder, to improve their colour and appearance before being supplied to the market.
The raids were carried out following intelligence inputs about large-scale adulteration activities in commercial spice processing units. During inspections, enforcement teams recovered large quantities of chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, and other spice products that are suspected to have been chemically altered. Samples have been collected and sent to accredited laboratories for detailed analysis to confirm the presence of unsafe additives and determine whether the products violate food safety standards.
Officials warned that the use of industrial chemicals such as textile dyes and non-food-grade powders poses serious health risks, including food poisoning, allergic reactions, digestive disorders, liver damage, and long-term toxic effects. Health experts have advised consumers to purchase spices only from trusted and licensed brands and to avoid unusually bright or artificially coloured products.
The latest operation is part of Hyderabad’s continuing campaign against food adulteration. Since its launch earlier this year, H-FAST has conducted hundreds of inspections across the city, leading to numerous cases involving adulterated dairy products, tea powder, edible oils, meat, spices, and other food items. Authorities said the campaign will continue with surprise inspections to ensure that unsafe food products do not reach consumers.
Police and food safety officials have initiated legal proceedings against the operators of the raided units under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and other applicable laws. Additional inspections are expected in the coming weeks as investigators work to trace the supply chain and identify distributors involved in marketing the suspected adulterated spices. Authorities have appealed to the public to report any suspected food adulteration through official helplines, stressing that protecting public health remains a top priority.