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5 Years of Toxic Milk: Gujarat Dairy Busted for Adulteration with Detergent and Urea
Moneylife Digital Team 09 February 2026
Consumer Interest
Hundreds of villagers across Gujarat’s Sabarkantha and Mehsana districts may have unknowingly consumed milk and buttermilk laced with detergent powder, urea fertiliser and industrial chemicals for nearly five years, after police busted a large-scale adulteration unit operating quietly in the region.
 
The racket came to light on Friday when the Sabarkantha local crime branch (LCB) raided Shree Satya Dairy Products, a dairy unit located near Salal village in Prantij taluka. Acting on specific intelligence, a joint team comprising the LCB, the forensic science laboratory (FSL) and officials from the food and drugs department conducted the operation and sealed the factory.
 
According to investigators, the unit manufactured synthetic milk by mixing water with milk powder, caustic soda, refined palmolein oil, refined soybean oil, detergent powder and urea fertiliser. The adulterated milk and buttermilk were packed in pouches and supplied to nearby villages, primarily catering to rural consumers who rely heavily on loose or locally sourced dairy products.
 
According to a senior police officer, the accused used minimal quantities of real milk to dramatically inflate production. Using about 300 litres of genuine milk, they were producing around 1,700 litres to 1,800 litres of adulterated milk daily by adding chemicals. The aim was to increase volume while making the product look thick, foamy and protein-rich, the officer says.
 
During the raid, police seized large quantities of adulteration material, including 450kg of whey powder, 625kg of skimmed milk powder, 300kg of premium SMP powder, along with urea fertiliser, caustic soda, detergent powder, soybean oil and palmolein oil. Officials also recovered 1,962 litres of adulterated milk and 1,180 litres of adulterated buttermilk that were ready for distribution.
 
Authorities say the substances were used to artificially enhance the thickness, colour, foam and apparent protein content of milk, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between genuine and fake products.
 
 
Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) also confirmed the crackdown in a post on X, saying a major joint raid in Himmatnagar, Gujarat, had shut down a dairy unit producing milk using urea and palm oil. “Investigation into the supply chain is underway,” the food regulator says. According to FSSAI, about 1,370 litres of unsafe milk were destroyed on the spot.
 
 
Four adults, including plant operator Jitendra Patel and workers Sachin Makwana, Karan Parmar and Ajaysinh Parmar, have been arrested in connection with the case. A juvenile worker associated with the unit has been detained separately. The factory owner, identified as Rakesh alias Dhamo Patel, a resident of Salal currently living in Himmatnagar, is absconding, and police have launched a search to trace him.
 
A case has been registered at Prantij police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
 
Officials believe the unit had been operating in this manner for nearly five years, raising serious concerns about prolonged public exposure to toxic substances. Samples seized from the factory have been sent for forensic analysis, and investigators are now mapping the supply chain to identify vendors, transporters and others who may have facilitated the sale of the adulterated products.
 
The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with users describing it as a public health crime and questioning how such an operation could run unchecked for so long. Many posts highlighted broader concerns about food safety enforcement, especially in rural and semi-urban markets.
 
 
 
 
Authorities have urged consumers to remain cautious while buying milk and dairy products from unregistered sources and to report suspicious or unusually cheap products to enforcement agencies. Officials say further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses, particularly once the absconding owner is traced.
 
With Gujarat being one of India’s largest milk-producing states, the bust has once again drawn attention to the persistent problem of food adulteration and the urgent need for stricter monitoring of small and informal dairy units to safeguard public health.
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