Health alert: 2,000kg of rotten almonds used in ice cream, golas seized

Rajkot: The crunchy almond flakes sprinkled over the ice creams, golas and sweets you are gorging on this summer to beat the heat may not just be stale — they could actually be rotten, fungus-ridden and crawling with insects.

In a shocking public health scare, the health department of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation has unearthed an alleged racket involving the supply of contaminated almonds used in popular summer treats across parts of Gujarat.

During a raid at a factory in the Yogi Industrial Area near Madhapar Chowkdi on Jamnagar Road, civic officials seized and destroyed nearly 2,000 kg of rotten almonds declared unfit for human consumption.

According to officials, the raid was carried out at a unit named “Heer Enterprise,” where large quantities of spoiled almond slices were allegedly being processed and supplied to manufacturers of ice cream, ice golas, shrikhand and sweets.

Health department officials said the contaminated almonds were allegedly procured cheaply from different parts of the state and sold at huge profits to food businesses. “These stockists used to buy mouldy and rotten almonds for nearly Rs 100 per kilogram and supply them to shrikhand makers, sweet manufacturers, ice cream producers and ice gola vendors for Rs 700 to Rs 800 per kilogram,” municipal health officer Jayesh Vakani said.

During questioning, officials found that the firm’s partner, Pradeep Dudhatra, allegedly failed to produce a valid food licence or GST registration certificate.

Civic authorities immediately issued notices for licensing and storage violations. The entire stock of contaminated almonds was destroyed on the spot using a Solid Waste Management (SWM) vehicle to prevent it from re-entering the food supply chain.

Health officials warned that consumption of such fungus-infested and insect-contaminated almonds could trigger serious gastrointestinal illnesses, including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and intestinal infections. Officials fear the contaminated stock may already have reached consumers through widely consumed summer products.

Adding to the concern, investigators said the stockist has so far failed to provide satisfactory details about the original suppliers of the almonds or the businesses that purchased them, raising fears of a wider supply network operating across the state.

Officials collected samples including loose almonds seized from Heer Enterprise as well as samples of Red Velvet ice cream and mava malai candy from “Favorite Icecream,” for testing.

Officials said further action will depend on laboratory test reports and the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the supply chain of the contaminated almonds.