What happened: Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) teams raided shops at two places in Raebareli on Saturday, 31 October 2026, ahead of Diwali. In the Unchahar area, Assistant Commissioner (Food) II Manik Chandra Singh led a team with Food Safety Officers Sanjay Kumar Tripathi and Uday Raj Maurya. They checked a grocery store at Kishunpur. Dainik Bhaskar names the village as Kishundaspur. The team seized 179 kg of cumin worth Rs 44,750 and 656 kg of pea dal worth Rs 39,360, Dainik Jagran and Hindustan report. Samples were taken, and the stock was handed to the trader for safe keeping. In Aghaura village, Chief Food Safety Officer Anjani Kumar Srivastava, with officers Kanchanlata Tiwari and Sumanshu Sachan, checked two sweet shops. They found khoya and paneer kept in deep freezers in unhygienic conditions. Jagran and Hindustan say 149 kg of khoya worth Rs 44,700 and 24 kg of paneer worth Rs 8,400 were destroyed. Amar Ujala gives the figures as 150 kg and 25 kg.
Why it matters: Demand for sweets, khoya, paneer, spices and dal rises sharply before Diwali on 8 November. Badly stored dairy products can cause food poisoning. Jagran reports that four samples were sent to the lab in all. Hindustan says improvement notices were recommended for the sweet shops, while Amar Ujala says they were issued. A seizure is not proof of adulteration. The lab report will decide whether the cumin and dal were unsafe. Manik Chandra Singh told Amar Ujala that the drive will continue.
Honest opinion: Raids before festivals are welcome, and they happen every year. The real test is whether the lab results are made public and whether action follows. Lab reports often take weeks, and by then the festival sweets have been eaten. Regular checks through the year would protect buyers better than a short drive in the festive season. Confidence: medium.
What you should do: Buy sweets and dairy products from shops that look clean and keep stock in working fridges. Smell khoya and paneer before you buy, and avoid anything with a sour smell or an odd colour. Ask for a bill so you can complain later if needed. Eat sweets within a day or two and keep them cool at home. If you suspect adulteration, tell the district food safety office or file a complaint on the Jansunwai portal. Share the shop name, the date and the bill when you complain.
Sources
Dainik Jagran, Raebareli, 31 October 2026, 6:38 PM IST, https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli-raebareli-food-dept-seizes-cumin-dal-destroys-khoya-paneer-40423059.html
Hindustan, Raebareli, 31 October 2026, 11:39 PM IST, https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/story-raebareli-food-safety-raid-835-kg-of-cumin-and-peas-seized-khoya-and-paneer-destroyed-201793470162165.html
Amar Ujala, Raebareli, 1 November 2026, 12:54 AM IST, https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/175-kg-of-khoya-and-paneer-were-destroyed-raebareli-news-c-101-1-slko1033-171215-2026-11-01
Dainik Bhaskar, Unchahar, 2 November 2026, https://www.bhaskar.com/local/uttar-pradesh/raibareli/rohania/news/raebareli-unchahar-fsda-raid-chetan-kirana-store-seize-adulteration-139565971.html
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