Just a day after uncovering a fake cheese racket in the Udhna Chikuwadi area, the Surat Municipal Corporation has stumbled upon another disturbing discovery. A factory manufacturing fake ghee was busted in the Rander zone, raising concerns about food safety in the city.

Acting on a tip-off, the Municipal Corporation team raided a facility operated by one Rajesh Patel in the Goga Chowk area. Patel was allegedly creating counterfeit ghee by mixing vegetable ghee, vanaspati ghee (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil), soybean oil, turmeric, and artificial flavorings. This concoction was then packaged and sold as pure ghee to unsuspecting dairies across Surat.

The raid yielded a significant seizure of 225 kg of the suspicious ghee, stored in containers and tubs. Samples were sent to a laboratory for further testing. The Health Department also confiscated loose ghee kept in wooden and plastic casks.

Adding a bizarre twist to the story, Patel even demonstrated his fraudulent process for the police at the station. He mixed soybean oil, turmeric, essence, and palm oil right in front of officers, raising concerns about the ease with which such fakery can be perpetrated.

Rajesh Patel was taken into custody by the Rander Police Station, and an investigation is underway. This incident, following on the heels of the fake cheese discovery, highlights the urgent need for stricter food safety regulations and enforcement in Surat.