Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Nearly half of the food samples tested in parts of Madhya Pradesh have failed quality checks, pointing to a deepening food adulteration crisis in the state.
A recent report by the Food and Drug Administration has revealed that more than 2,000 samples collected over the past few years were found non-compliant.
Commonly consumed dairy products such as milk, khoya, paneer and ghee dominate the list of adulterated items, raising serious concerns about everyday food safety.
The findings are based on samples collected through mobile food testing vans over the last three years. The report, the first consolidated assessment since the initiative began, covers nearly one lakh samples across Madhya Pradesh.
A comparison with other states shows that Madhya Pradesh is lagging behind in food safety monitoring. While states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala have expanded their testing capacity, Madhya Pradesh has reduced sample collection over the years. The state s food testing infrastructure also remains inadequate, with only one government laboratory, seven private laboratories and no referral laboratory for confirmatory testing.
Most failed food products (Source: FDA report)
Mixed milk/milk, mawa/khoya, paneer, ghee, curd, soybean oil/edible oil, mawa-based sweets, besan and besan laddoos, red chilli powder, coriander powder, lassi, refined flour, jalebi and other sweets, tea/tea leaves, pulses (arhar, moong, chana).
Decline in testing
Official data from the Lok Sabha shows a sharp decline in food safety enforcement across the state. The number of food samples tested dropped by nearly 49%, from 16,059 in 2021-22 to 8,236 in 2025-26.
While the percentage of failed samples has come down to 5.1% in the latest provisional data, experts say this decline is misleading and largely due to reduced testing rather than any significant improvement in compliance.
Most Failed Food Products
Mixed Milk / Milk
Mawa / Khoya
Panee
Ghee
Curd
Soybean Oil / Edible Oil
Mawa-based Sweets
Besan and Besan Laddoos
Red Chilli Powder
Coriander Powder
Lassi
Refined Flour
Jalebi and Other Sweets
Tea / Tea Leaves
Pulses (Arhar, Moong, Chana)
