Thaindian News

Nagpur, Nov 18 (IANS) Officials of Food and Drugs Administration and police Friday busted a private company in this Maharashtra city allegedly making sub-standard sauces, noodles and other popular fast food items using rotten raw material, a police official said.

A team of Nagpur Rural Police, crime branch and FDA officials swooped on the factory, Universal Products Ltd, and found huge stocks of rotten vegetables, chemicals, synthetic colours, adulterated materials and flavours used to make the fast food items.

According to investigating officer Prakash Hake of Kuhi Police Station, there was a strong stench of rotten vegetables, which were being used as the main raw material for manufacturing the fake “tomato sauce”, besides chilli, chilli soya and other types of sauces and noodles.

The sub-standard sauces were sold under the brand name of ‘Tim Sauces’ in Nagpur and surrounding districts, he said.

“These sauces were sold in huge quantities to wayside eateries, dhabas and small hotels at cheaper rates compared to branded varieties. Though the bottles were labeled tomato sauce, there was not a single tomato in the factory premises. We have seized the raw materials worth around Rs.2 million,” Hake told IANS.

He said that two senior officials of the company - with an annual turnover running into several crores of rupees per annum - have been detained even as the raids continued the whole day.

The factory is situated in an industrial zone under the jurisdiction of Kuhi Police Station, around 45 km from Nagpur city.

Hake said samples of the sauces, chemicals, synthetic colours and flavours, noodles and other stuff have been sent for chemical analysis.

As a precautionary measure, the FDA is also planning to seize unsold stocks of the sauces that have been off-loaded in the markets, he added.