300 kg tea powder mixed with coconut shell powder seized by police, food safety officials in Hyderabad

Low-quality tea powder was purchased at prices ₹80 to ₹100 per kilogram. It was mixed with coconut shell powder and toxic chemical essences, adding artificial flavouring. The adulterated tea powder was sold for ₹200 to ₹250 per kilogram

The Task Force Teams of Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety along with Central Zone Task Force of Hyderabad City Police seized 300 kilograms of adulterated loose tea powder after uncovering a large-scale tea adulteration operation in Fateh Nagar of Hyderabad. Three people including the owner of the wholesale shop were arrested by the police.

The discovery was made during an inspection of the premises of M/s. Konark Tea on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) following a police tip-off that loose tea powder was being adulterated and distributed to tea stalls across the city.

Low quality tea powder mixed with coconut shell powder and toxic chemical essences

The proprietor of the establishment, Bishoya Jagannath, was operating a business under the name ‘Konark Tea Powder Sales & Suppliers’ in Fateh nagar. “He purchased low-quality tea powder from market suppliers at prices ranging from ₹80 to ₹100 per kilogram. To maximise profits, he mixed the tea powder with coconut shell powder and toxic chemical essences, adding artificial flavouring. The adulterated tea powder was then sold in the market for ₹200 to ₹250 per kilogram, allowing him to make easy, illegal profits,” the police said naming him as a serial offender.

During the inspection, officials seized a total of 300 kilograms of loose tea powder, 200 kilograms of coconut shell powder, and five kilograms each of non-food-grade red and orange colours. Additionally, artificial flavours including chocolate, cardamom, and milk were found at the site. These substances were mixed with the tea powder before being packed and distributed for public consumption, said an official from the food safety department.

The police further said that to prepare and market the adulterated tea powder, Bishoya recruited two associates, Pratap Pradan and Sivswain Parida, from Odisha. Together, they manufactured the adulterated tea powder at the warehouse and distributed it throughout Hyderabad. Bishoya has previously been arrested in three food adulteration cases.

The adulterated stock, along with the non-food additives and tea powder samples have been sent for chemical analysis.

Related Stories

• Hygiene hazards in Hyderabad’s dining dens

• In food we trust: laying out health and hygiene norms

• Indian spices found unsafe: Do food safety laws in India need an overhaul? | In Focus podcast 

Published - October 09, 2024 09:14 am IST