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While buying sweets on Diwali, it is important to know not only its calories but also whether it is adulterated or not. Khoya and ghee used in it – is it real or not?
There is a huge increase in the demand for sweets and snacks during Diwali. During this time it is difficult to differentiate between genuine and adulterated products.
On November 3, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta herself reached Turkman Gate and took action to seize adulterated khoya there.
While sharing the video of this action on social media, he wrote, "Raids will be intensified in Delhi during festivals and throughout the year. Action against adulteration will continue."
Image source, x.com/gupta_rekha
According to a report by news agency PTI, "Delhi's food safety department destroyed more than 4,000 kg of food items from markets in the last two months. These included khoya, ghee, cheese and sweets. Of the 290 samples tested by the department, 85 were found unsafe or below the prescribed standards."
Raids were conducted in many areas of Delhi including Khoya Mandi, Okhla and Janakpuri of Mori Gate. During these actions, a total of 30 operations were conducted and large quantities of food items were confiscated and destroyed.
But why does the sale of adulterated sweets increase during festivals? How to identify them? And what bad effect can eating these have on our health? Come, let us understand.
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Why does adulteration increase during festivals?
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In September 2026, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued a circular regarding 'Special Festive Drive'.
It was said that before Navratri and Diwali, the demand for food items like sweets, oil, cheese and khoya increases rapidly.
During this period, in view of the possibility of adulterated, fake and unsafe food products reaching the market, FSSAI had asked the officials of the states and union territories to increase monitoring and investigation in their respective areas.
The circular said, "Officials should be instructed to inspect food shops in their respective areas during festivals and collect samples of food items. In these campaigns, special attention should be paid to those areas where the possibility of adulteration is high and which have been marked as sensitive places."
According to a report in the newspaper 'Mint', about 35 percent of the total annual sales of organized sweets manufacturers in India happen during the festival season.
What is the harm from sweets made from adulterated khoya?
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Dr. Anil Arora, a gastroenterologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, while talking to BBC, said, "During festivals, the demand increases so much that sometimes the supply is unable to meet that demand. In such a situation, the possibility of finding adulterated goods in the market increases."
We also tried to talk to the sweets and namkeen manufacturers' organization about this, but they refused to talk.
Khoya Mawa trade union head of Delhi's Mori Gate market, Rakesh Tomar, told BBC News Hindi that after the seizure of adulterated sweets, the business of the market has been affected.
He said, "This year the business has come to a standstill. There has been a decline of at least 40 percent compared to previous years. All this is being done to sell the goods of big industrial companies. We are small businessmen of Delhi and there is no adulteration in our khoya. We are not even told the reason for this when our goods are confiscated."
We sought a response from the Food Safety Commissioner of Delhi on these allegations through email, but have not received any response from him yet. Their reply will be included in the copy as soon as it is received.
What does the government do?
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FSSAI recommends running special campaigns to prevent food adulteration during festivals.
Under this, sweet shops, dairies, warehouses and food manufacturing units are inspected and samples are taken for testing.
Additionally, FSSAI has asked States and Union Territories to deploy mobile food testing laboratories called 'Food Safety on Wheels' in key markets.
Through these, preliminary testing of food items can be done on the spot. However, all adulteration requires detailed laboratory testing to confirm it.
If a shopkeeper or manufacturer is caught selling adulterated or unsafe food items, action can be taken against him under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
There is a provision for imposing fine, suspending or canceling the license and in serious cases even jail sentence.
FSSAI had told the Lok Sabha that a total of 12,057 legal cases were initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 in the financial year 2024-25. Of these, there were 11,358 civil cases and 699 criminal cases.
During the same period, fines were imposed in 8,636 civil cases. A total fine of around Rs 36.43 crore was imposed in civil cases, while in 179 criminal cases, conviction was imposed and a fine of around Rs 28.23 lakh was imposed.
If any sample does not meet the prescribed standards in the testing of food items, then action is taken against the concerned businessman according to the seriousness of the defect.
Consumers can also complain about the sale of adulterated or unsafe food items through FSSAI's 'Food Safety Connect' app and online complaint system.
How much harm does it cause to health?
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Eating adulterated food can have many adverse effects on health. These effects can be for a short period of time or can also be visible in the long run.
Dr. Anil Arora of Gangaram Hospital says that during festivals, adulterated food items are available in large numbers in the market.
According to him, "The most serious effect of eating adulterated sweets or salty snacks can be on the digestive system. If the food contains chemicals that can cause swelling in the stomach or increase the production of acid, then you may have nausea, stomach ache, vomiting or cramps. Contaminated food can also cause infection by reaching the intestines."
He also told that eating such foods in large quantities for a long time can cause some of the chemicals present in them to accumulate in the body. Their harm is not visible initially, but over time they can affect the metabolic processes of the body.
He says, "These things can especially affect the liver, which can impair the metabolism of carbohydrates, glucose and fat in the body. If heavy metals accumulate in organs like the heart, brain and kidneys, heavy metal poisoning can occur. This can gradually cause serious damage to the body."
FSSAI has also issued guidelines for consumers on quality of food items and methods for early detection of adulteration.
FSSAI's 'Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test' handbook lists more than 50 home tests to detect common adulteration in food items including milk and milk products, oils, ghee, spices and cereals.
However, Dr. Arora says that these methods may not always be effective in practice.
He said, "The responsibility of testing food lies with the government. Any medicine or food item that is being sold at any street corner should be certified and pure. A common consumer cannot be expected to keep testing every product. This is the responsibility of the government and the food regulator."
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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