After action against Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King, fresh laboratory reports raise questions over samples collected from Reliance Store, prominent restaurants and dairy outlets
Ludhiana, June 1, (Rajkumar Sathi). Major brands and well-known food establishments have once again come under scrutiny in Ludhiana following the latest findings of the Food Safety Department. Laboratory reports of samples collected during a special inspection drive conducted between January and May 2026 have identified several products as unsafe, substandard and misbranded.
The special campaign was carried out by the Food Safety Team, Ludhiana, under the supervision of District Health Officer Dr. Ashish Chawla. The most serious violation involved a jaggery sample collected from a Reliance Store located at Mundian Kalan on Chandigarh Road. Laboratory analysis declared the sample unsafe after detecting significant fungal contamination, which could pose serious health risks to consumers.
Dr. Ashish Chawla stated that consumption of fungus-contaminated food products can have serious health consequences. He emphasized that the Food Safety Department will not tolerate any negligence and strict legal action will be initiated against those found violating food safety regulations. The inspection drive also found paneer samples collected from a dhaba in Sahnewal and another food outlet near Fountain Chowk to be unsafe. Additionally, both samples of desi ghee seized from a business establishment near Gill Chowk were also declared unsafe.According to the Food Safety Department, used cooking oil samples collected from a restaurant located in MBD Mall on Ferozepur Road and from Grand Oriental Restaurant failed to meet prescribed standards and were classified as substandard. Among dairy products, paneer samples collected from Sant Sweets, Bigga Bikaneri Sweets, Siddhi Vinayak Dairy and Jagir Dairy were also found to be substandard. Similarly, several milk samples collected from Gill Road, Narangwal, Bilaspur and Haibowal failed laboratory testing. In another case, four coffee samples seized from a trader in Dugri were declared misbranded due to deficiencies in labeling and mandatory product information. Dr. Chawla said that all businesses and brands are treated equally under food safety laws. “Whether it is a local establishment or a national brand, compliance with food safety standards is mandatory for everyone. No one is above the law,” he said. He further pointed out that samples linked to Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King had also faced regulatory action in the past after deficiencies were detected. The latest findings demonstrate that the department maintains the same level of scrutiny for both national brands and local businesses. The Food Safety Department clarified that legal proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act will be initiated against all parties associated with unsafe, substandard or misbranded samples.
Dr. Chawla also urged consumers to pay close attention to quality standards and labeling while purchasing food products and to immediately report any concerns regarding food safety to the department.
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