Officers have issued notices and warnings and asked the makers not to bring the suspect goods to the market.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Food and Drug Administration officers inspected ‘khandsari’ (backyard jaggery units) in various towns and villages in Belagavi district and found that some of them were using chemicals that could be considered harmful or unsafe for human consumption.
Officers have issued notices and warnings and asked the makers not to bring the suspect goods to the market.
A team of officers led by Shravan Nayk, the designated FSDA officer and food safety officers H.S. Harish and Lokesh Ganur, among others, conducted inspections between January and September 2026. At least 15 units were found to be using unsafe chemicals. These were triggered by complaints from some consumers about the mixing of chemicals in jaggery units. The Belagavi district has an estimated 1,100 khandsari units in its 14 taluks.
“After collecting samples and sending them to the FSDA laboratory, officers found that some makers were using chemicals to give a dark brown colour to jaggery. These included dyes like sunset yellow, tartrazine, carmoisine and others. They are considered harmful and unsafe for human consumption,” Mr. Nayk said.
“Sugarcane is cultivated on over 4 lakh hectares in the district. While most of the farmers send the sugarcane they grow to sugar mills, the rest prepare and sell jaggery in their own backyard or khandsari units. We hope the notices and warnings help the makers realise the dangers of using chemicals. We hope they mend their ways in the future,” he said.
“Mixing such dyes with jaggery can be dangerous. They can cause liver and kidney problems and adversely affect those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes. Cases are being registered against those who violated the rules. Further investigation is on,” Mr. Harish said. Mr. Ganur said that another round of inspections would start with the next round of crushing during the festive season.
Prakash Kulkarni, an organic jaggery maker from Honnihal village, complained that apart from chemicals, several khandsari units were mixing sugar syrup into jaggery blocks. “This not only reduces the cost of production, but also its quality. However, the State government is not acting against such practices,” he said.
Published – October 12, 2026 09:12 pm IST
