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The storage area also contained stacks of ingredients and packaged goods, providing officials with a view of the conditions inside the facility.
A large vessel filled with adulterated tomato ketchup found at a factory. (AI Generated/Representative Image)
Ahmedabad’s Health Department has seized 10,630 kg of suspected adulterated food products and sealed a factory in the city’s Gota area over allegations that tomato ketchup was being made using potato-based paste instead of tomatoes.
The raid was conducted at Aai Shri Khodiyar Grih Udyog in Meldi Estate. Officials alleged that products sold as tomato ketchup, chutney and syrup were being manufactured using artificial colours and flavours.
A team from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) Health Department carried out the operation and found large quantities of finished products and raw materials at the facility. The seized stock included around 5,000 kg of finished products reportedly ready for sale, along with more than 5,000 kg of raw materials.
According to Mahendra Patel, a Food Safety Officer with the AMC, the factory allegedly used potatoes as a substitute for tomatoes while manufacturing ketchup. The potatoes were first processed into a paste and then converted into powder. This powder was subsequently mixed with water, artificial colours and flavours to prepare a product allegedly sold as tomato ketchup.
During the inspection, officials found large stainless-steel mixing vessels containing red sauce, packaged ketchup sachets, sacks of raw materials, plastic drums filled with paste-like substances and containers holding finished products.
The storage area also contained stacks of ingredients and packaged goods, providing officials with a view of the conditions inside the facility.
Samples Collected For Laboratory Testing
At A Glance
Ahmedabad’s Health Department seized 10,630 kg of suspected adulterated food products and sealed a factory in the Gota area.
Officials alleged the factory manufactured tomato ketchup using potato-based paste instead of tomatoes.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation collected five samples from the factory for laboratory testing.
Authorities previously seized 2,000 kg of suspected adulterated products during a similar raid in Behrampura.
The Health Department suspects that the products were being marketed as tomato-based condiments despite allegedly containing no tomatoes. Officials have also raised concerns about the use of artificial colours and flavours and the potential risks associated with consuming the products.
Five samples were collected from the factory for laboratory testing to determine the ingredients used and verify the manufacturing process.
Following the raid, officials sealed the premises and initiated proceedings to revoke the factory’s licence. The distribution of the stock found at the facility has also been halted.
Further action will depend on the laboratory findings, which are expected to establish whether the products violated food safety standards and help determine the appropriate action against those responsible.
Second Factory Raided Within Two Days
The latest operation comes two days after the AMC’s Health Department took similar action at a factory in Behrampura, where tomato ketchup was allegedly being manufactured using a comparable process.
Officials seized around 2,000 kg of suspected adulterated products during that raid.
With the Gota facility now under scrutiny, the two operations have brought the alleged manufacture of tomato-free ketchup in Ahmedabad into focus. Authorities are expected to take further action based on the laboratory results and the outcome of the licensing proceedings.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Health Department raided and sealed Aai Shri Khodiyar Grih Udyog in the Gota area after discovering that tomato ketchup was being manufactured using a potato-based paste instead of actual tomatoes. Officials seized 10,630 kg of suspected adulterated food products, including ready-to-sell items and raw materials, which allegedly utilized artificial colors and flavors.
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Aanchal is the Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than four years of experience in national and international news. My work involves covering breaking news, politics, current affairs and developments…Read More
October 18, 2026, 10:30 IST
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