From ghee and honey to misleading advertisements, Patanjali has faced repeated regulatory scrutiny. The latest seizure comes amid a history of product-quality disputes, court proceedings and allegations that the company has consistently contested.
BY PC Bureau
November 4: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized 2,279.7 litres of Patanjali cow ghee worth ₹20.20 lakh during a festive-season food safety drive. The action has revived questions about the quality standards and marketing claims of Baba Ramdev’s expanding Ayurvedic and FMCG empire.
The seizure took place in early November 2026 at M/s Divya Mahavitarak, a Patanjali super distributor in Sundarwadi, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Officials confiscated 4,032 units of cow ghee over suspected misbranding and adulteration.
The stock was prima facie found to be in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Samples have been collected for laboratory examination.
The action was part of a wider statewide crackdown led by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. Between late October and early November, officials inspected 114 establishments across seven divisions.
They seized around 3.53 lakh kg of food articles valued at ₹9.01 crore. The drive also resulted in 13 FIRs, 16 arrests and the sealing of seven establishments.
Authorities suspended or ordered the suspension of licences of 19 food business operators. Six vehicles were also seized. Edible oil accounted for several major seizures.
Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS officer, has led an aggressive enforcement campaign since taking charge of the Maharashtra FDA earlier this year.
Patanjali Foods Limited, however, clarified that the action was directed against its distributor, a registered food business operator, and not the company itself.
In stock exchange disclosures, the company said samples had been collected for testing. It maintained that no authenticated laboratory report confirming a quality failure had been received.
It also argued that sample collection alone does not establish adulteration or non-compliance. The company said it was coordinating with the authorities and the distributor and would take appropriate action after receiving the test results.
A history of ghee-related scrutiny
The latest seizure is not the first time Patanjali cow ghee has faced regulatory scrutiny.
In October 2020, a sample collected in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, failed tests at the state laboratory in Rudrapur and a central laboratory in Ghaziabad.
In November 2025, a Pithoragarh court imposed fines totalling approximately ₹1.4 lakh. Patanjali Ayurved was fined ₹1 lakh, while the distributor and retailer were also penalised.
The company disputed the findings. It questioned the laboratory’s accreditation for testing cow ghee and challenged the applicability of certain parameters.
It also argued that the sample had been tested after its expiry date. Patanjali maintained that the product had not been declared harmful and pointed to a minor deviation in the RM value, a parameter associated with the fatty acid composition of ghee.
The company announced plans to challenge the order before the Food Safety Tribunal.
Another Patanjali ghee sample failed a food safety test in Uttarakhand in 2022. Ramdev rejected the findings, alleging a conspiracy involving fabricated parameters or sample tampering.
He also cited tests conducted elsewhere that had reportedly cleared the product.
Independent testing has added to the scrutiny. Some investigations have claimed to detect beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that can indicate the presence of vegetable oils in ghee. Questions have also been raised about pesticide residues in certain samples.
However, such findings need to be assessed against the specific samples tested and the applicable regulatory standards.
Brij Bhushan’s allegations and ₹50-crore defamation suit
Patanjali’s ghee has also become the subject of a public dispute involving former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Singh repeatedly accused the company of selling fake or counterfeit ghee. He also described Ramdev as an “emperor” of adulterated products.
Patanjali responded by filing a ₹50-crore defamation suit.
In September 2026, Ramdev said he had met Singh and that their misunderstandings had been resolved. He claimed Singh’s allegations were based on hearsay.
Ramdev also maintained that neither Patanjali ghee nor its medicines were fake. He has repeatedly challenged critics to get the products tested at any laboratory.
The yoga guru has consistently denied allegations that Patanjali ghee contains animal fat or vanaspati.
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PATANJALI GHEE SEIZED: INSIDE MAHARASHTRA’S ₹9 CRORE FOOD CRACKDOWN
A major food safety crackdown ahead of Diwali has put food brands, distributors and businesses under scrutiny in Maharashtra. The state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, seized approximately 3.53 lakh kg of food products worth ₹9.01 crore from 114 establishments across seven divisions.
Among the biggest seizures was 2,279.7 litres of Patanjali cow ghee worth ₹20.20 lakh, seized from a super distributor in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar over suspected misbranding and adulteration.
👉 Other Major Seizures: These included 1,44,218 kg of edible oil in Bhiwandi and 20,560 kg of rice, pulses, jaggery and other food articles in Satara.
👉 Enforcement Action: 19 food business licences were suspended. Between October 28–31, ₹79.40 lakh of banned food articles was seized, 13 FIRs registered, 16 people arrested, seven establishments sealed and six vehicles seized.
👉 Restaurant Inspections: The FDA inspected 34 hotels, restaurants and dhabas and issued 29 improvement notices.
👉 Patanjali’s Response: The company said samples from certain ghee batches were collected for laboratory testing and that it had not received any authenticated report confirming quality failure.
The Bigger Question: Are inspections and raids enough to ensure the food reaching our homes is safe?[Patanjali Ghee Seized, Patanjali Food Safety Crackdown, Maharashtra FDA Raid, ₹9 Crore Food Seizure, Tukaram Mundhe FDA Action, Food Adulteration in India, Food Safety Violations, Patanjali Cow Ghee News, Maharashtra Food Inspection, Food Adulteration Investigation, Consumer Safety India, Diwali Food Safety, Food Quality Testing, FDA Maharashtra Latest News]
— The Logical Indian (@LogicalIndians) November 4, 2026
Supreme Court action over misleading advertisements
The controversies surrounding Patanjali extend well beyond ghee.
One of the most prominent legal battles concerned misleading advertisements and claims about the company’s Ayurvedic products.
The Indian Medical Association and others challenged advertisements claiming that Patanjali products could cure or permanently treat conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and thyroid disorders.
The controversy also involved claims surrounding Coronil, which was promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The allegations raised questions under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, which restricts advertisements making certain claims about the treatment of diseases.
In November 2023, Patanjali gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that it would stop publishing misleading advertisements.
However, subsequent advertisements and public statements led to contempt proceedings.
The Supreme Court criticised the company and the Uttarakhand authorities. It initially refused to accept its apologies and imposed restrictions on advertisements relating to certain products.
The proceedings were closed in August 2024 after Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna tendered public apologies and gave fresh undertakings.
The court warned against repeating such violations.
Honey, amla juice and other products under scrutiny
Patanjali has faced questions about the quality of several other products.
A 2020 investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) used advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) testing to examine honey sold by several brands, including Patanjali.
The investigation raised concerns about possible adulteration with sugar syrups. Patanjali disputed the methodology and subsequently cited studies supporting the quality of its honey.
Other products, including amla juice, edible oils, salt, jam and certain Ayurvedic preparations, have also faced regulatory complaints or quality-related scrutiny over the years.
The company has frequently attributed such controversies to laboratory errors, faulty sampling, technical disputes or conspiracies by competitors.
It has also highlighted its testing facilities, manufacturing scale and compliance procedures.
A commercial empire worth thousands of crores
Despite the controversies, Patanjali has emerged as a major player in India’s Ayurvedic products, FMCG and edible oil markets.
Founded in 2006 by Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, the group built its business around Ayurveda, yoga and the promotion of indigenous products.
Its marketing strategy combines traditional medicine, nationalist branding and competitive pricing.
Acharya Balkrishna holds the overwhelming majority stake in the privately held Patanjali Ayurved. Ramdev remains the group’s public face but is not known to hold a comparable equity stake.
Patanjali Foods, formerly Ruchi Soya, is another major part of the business. The listed company entered the Patanjali fold after its acquisition through the insolvency process.
The group’s various businesses generate revenues running into tens of thousands of crores of rupees. Its management has also outlined ambitious expansion targets.
Strong brand recognition and consumer loyalty have helped it maintain a significant presence in several product categories.
Regulatory scrutiny continues
The latest Maharashtra seizure is still subject to laboratory examination. Patanjali maintains that no authenticated adverse report has been received in this particular case.
The distinction is important. A seizure based on suspected violations is not, by itself, proof that a product is adulterated.
The laboratory findings will determine whether the seized stock failed the prescribed food safety standards.
However, the repeated scrutiny of Patanjali products raises broader questions about quality control, advertising claims and regulatory accountability.
The company’s commercial expansion has not insulated it from these questions. Nor should its popularity place it beyond independent testing and enforcement.
For consumers, the central issue is straightforward: food and health products must meet the same safety and quality standards, regardless of the brand’s size, reputation or political and commercial influence.
