Food adulteration: H-FAST to target supply chain, source units in crackdown

A day after the launch of the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST), officials have outlined the unit’s operational focus, with an emphasis on tracking adulterated food products to their source and targeting manufacturing units and suppliers across the city.

Set up under the Hyderabad City Police in coordination with Food Safety Officers, the specialised wing is located in old Begum Bazaar police station building. The wing will prioritise cases involving adulterated items such as tea, paneer and ginger-garlic paste and other commonly used items, along with focus on illegal rebranding and substandard raw materials. Officials said the objective is not limited to retail-level violations but extends to identifying and dismantling the larger supply chain behind such practices.

DCP (Task Force) Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath said the unit would pursue major sources of adulteration rather than restricting action to isolated cases. He stated that establishments found violating norms would face cancellation of licences, while repeat offenders could be booked under provisions of the Preventive Detention Act.

“We are going to the source units and are working closely with Food Safety Officers. This initiative is aimed at ensuring stricter enforcement against food adulteration in the city,” he said.

Inspector N. Ranjith Kumar Goud said the unit’s primary focus would be on manufacturing units and suppliers, with less emphasis on hotels. “Our target is the supply chain. We aim to identify the root source in all cases related to food complaints,” he said.

A toll-free number 8712661212 has been set up for the public to report cases of food adulteration and unsafe food practices. Complaints can also be shared through official social media platforms of H-FAST.

According to officials, enforcement activity has already been underway for the past 15 days, with teams analysing video evidence and inputs received from the public. A toll-free number has been introduced to facilitate complaints, which can also be submitted through social media platforms.

Mr. Ranjith Kumar Goud said a dedicated team is working round the clock to assess incoming complaints. “We verify all complaints before initiating action, as there are instances of false or grudge complaints. Only those found to be genuine are taken up for raids,” he said.

He added that offences involving food adulteration that are hazardous to public health fall under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, where punishment is less than seven years, and may not always lead to immediate arrests.