Gujarat factory sold milk mixed with detergent, toxic chemicals for 5 years. Netizens shocked

According to the authorities, the factory workers mixed caustic soda, refined palm oil, refined soybean oil, detergent powder and urea in milk to increase its quantity and deceive consumers. (Image credit: FSSAI/X)

A case of large-scale milk adulteration uncovered in Gujarat has triggered outrage on social media, with users calling it a public health crime and questioning how such an operation was allowed to run unchecked for years.

On Friday, the Sabarkantha Local Crime Branch (LCB) busted a factory allegedly manufacturing adulterated milk near Salal village in Prantij taluka. Police said the unit, operating under the name Shree Satya Dairy Products, had been supplying milk and buttermilk mixed with detergent powder, urea fertiliser and other chemicals to villages in Sabarkantha and Mehsana districts for nearly five years, the Times of India reported.

According to officials, the accused used just 300 litres of genuine milk to produce around 1,700 to 1,800 litres of adulterated milk daily by mixing water, milk powder, caustic soda, refined palm oil, refined soybean oil, detergent powder and urea. The milk was packed in pouches and distributed locally.

According to the FSSAI, 1,370 litres of 'unsafe milk" were destroyed on the spot.

#Gujarat A major joint raid in Himatnagar, Gujarat, has shut down a dairy unit producing milk from Urea and Palm Oil. The raid was conducted by Food Safety Dept. Gujarat. Investigation into the supply chain is underway. #FSSAIAction#FSSAIinStates#FSSAIActionpic.twitter.com/YIIFaHn1jT

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— FSSAI (@fssaiindia) February 8, 2026

Netizens react with anger and alarm

Police seized large quantities of adulteration material, including various grades of milk powder, urea, caustic soda, detergent powder, edible oils, along with nearly 2,000 litres of adulterated milk and over 1,100 litres of adulterated buttermilk. Officials said the substances were used to artificially enhance thickness, foam, protein content and appearance to deceive consumers.

Four accused — plant operator Jitendra Patel and workers Sachin Makwana, Karan Parmar and Ajaysinh Parmar — were arrested, while a juvenile worker was detained. The factory owner, Rakesh alias Dhamo Patel, is absconding. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Fake Milk Factory Raided in North #Gujarat. They were selling by packaging it in different popular brands including AMUL. pic.twitter.com/2FC3Rexxt5 — Kumar Manish (@kumarmanish9) February 6, 2026

As details of the raid surfaced, reactions on X were swift and scathing. Many users described the incident as emblematic of deeper moral and regulatory failures.

“We are the most morally corrupt country in the world,” one user wrote, while another said, “This is not limited to milk. I think there are hardly any edibles or medicines which are not adulterated.”

Several users questioned how the factory was able to operate for five years without being detected. “How could such illegal units run for five years? This is not limited to Gujarat; it’s a nationwide problem,” one post read, calling food adulteration a major public health threat.

Read more: Detergent in milk, dishwash liquid in candy: Horror stories of food adulteration in India go viral