HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) team raided 15 locations across the city and arrested 10 persons allegedly involved in adulterating tea leaf for sale to retailers.
Officials said around 3,000 kg of adulterated tea powder used as mixing material, nearly 1,500 kg of expired tea powder, artificial colours used for adulteration and about 100 kg of jaggery were seized during the operation. Those arrested were identified as Paresh Rajan, Sanju alias Pati, Satish, Naveen, Narsimha, Chunnilal Chaudhary, Narsimulu, Rajesh, Ravinder and Waseem.
What emerged during the raids points to a systematic operation driven by profit, where quality was compromised at every step.
In a press meet on Thursday, Task Force DCP Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath said some operators were found mixing artificial synthetic colours and using low-grade materials to enhance the appearance of tea powder. Expired stock was also being reused. The adulterated product was then supplied not only to roadside vendors but also to reputed outlets.
Investigations revealed that the accused sourced low-quality tea powder from vendors in Kolkata, Kerala and Assam, before altering it using a mix of synthetic food colours such as Sunset Yellow FCF, Tartrazine and Total dye.
Substances like jaggery juice, used tea powder and expired stock were added to improve colour, texture and perceived freshness.
The accused admitted to repackaging the adulterated tea under different brand names and selling it as genuine product to dealers and tea vendors. Officials said the practice poses significant health risks, including stomach disorders, allergies and potential long-term complications.
Cases have been registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act and relevant provisions of the BNS.
Officials clarified that the enforcement drive is aimed at curbing adulteration at the manufacturing level, not targeting roadside vendors.
At the same time, manufacturers and suppliers have been warned to strictly adhere to food safety standards. The public has been advised to purchase tea powder only from reliable and authorised sellers and to report any suspected adulteration to authorities.