Fact-check
Is ghee banned in India?
Last checked 10 October 2026
Ghee is not banned in India as of 10 Oct 2026; FSSAI's actions are against named manufacturers, most recently the Aug 2026 order prohibiting the sale of all ghee made by SDP Industries, Daman (brands Shraddha, Shree Saras, Gokul), and the 2024 Tirupati laddu ghee case.
- Classification
- No ban or recall found in official records
- Decided by
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Reference
- FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, standard for ghee; FSSAI order on SDP Industries announced 21 Aug 2026 (PIB Release ID 2301960)
- Latest action
- 21 August 2026
- Last checked
- 10 October 2026
Photo: 4 pounds of butter turned into ghee. by aaronx (CC BY 2.0). All photo credits.
FSSAI bans sale of all ghee variants made by Daman-based SDP Industries over adulteration concerns
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.
Key facts
- Is ghee banned
- No. Ghee is a standardised food under FSSAI regulations
- Latest action
- Sale of all ghee made by SDP Industries Private Limited, Daman (Shraddha, Shree Saras, Gokul and any other label from its premises) prohibited until further orders, announced 21 Aug 2026
- Why ghee fails tests
- Plant sterols such as beta-sitosterol, which must be absent, and a fatty acid profile outside the standard indicate vegetable fat; older markers are the Butyro-refractometer reading, Reichert-Meissl value, saponification value and Polenske value
- Other cases
- Tirupati laddu ghee: FSSAI show-cause notice to the supplier, 20 Sep 2024; CBI arrests, Feb 2025. Institutional supply, no retail recall
Where the claim comes from
The question spikes whenever a ghee case is in the news: the Tirupati laddu allegations in September 2024, and the August 2026 FSSAI order against SDP Industries, Daman, which some reports shortened to a 'ghee ban'.
Ghee is not banned in India. It is a standardised food under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, and the regulator's work on ghee is enforcement against products that do not meet that standard, not a prohibition on the food itself.
The most recent action is an order announced by the Press Information Bureau on 21 Aug 2026. FSSAI's Designated Officer (Central Licensing Authority) prohibited, with immediate effect and until further orders, the sale of all variants of ghee manufactured, stored or sold by M/s SDP Industries Private Limited, Ringanwada, Daman, from its authorised premises, whatever the brand, batch or lot. Brands named are Shraddha, Shree Saras and Gokul. Samples taken on 19 May 2026 had failed, and Referral Food Laboratory reports received in August 2026 confirmed beta-sitosterol, which should be absent from ghee, and a fatty acid composition outside the standard.
The other case people remember is the Tirupati laddu ghee matter. FSSAI's Central Licensing Authority in Tamil Nadu issued a show-cause notice to the ghee supplier on 20 Sep 2024 and the CBI arrested dairy company executives in February 2025. That ghee was supplied to the temple trust, not sold at retail, and no consumer product was recalled.
If you are checking a pack, the manufacturer's name and address matter more than the brand. The Daman order covers every label from one set of premises, and a brand name used there can also be used by unrelated dairies elsewhere. We will add further orders, including results of festive-season sampling drives, as regulators publish them.
What this means for you
No brand-wide or national ghee ban exists
Every action we have found names a manufacturer and a document. A headline that says 'ghee banned' almost always refers to one of these orders.
Read the manufacturer, not just the brand
The Aug 2026 order covers every ghee from one set of premises in Daman under any name. A brand name such as Gokul is also used by other dairies that are not part of the order.
Failed samples are published
State food safety departments and FSSAI publish results of sampling drives, and festive-season drives on ghee, khoya and sweets are common in October and November. We add orders as they are published.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Common questions
Is ghee banned in India?
No. Ghee is a standardised food under FSSAI regulations. Orders exist against specific manufacturers whose ghee failed laboratory tests, most recently SDP Industries, Daman in Aug 2026.
Which ghee brands are banned in India?
No brand is banned nationally. The sale of all ghee made by SDP Industries Private Limited, Daman, sold as Shraddha, Shree Saras and Gokul among other names, has been prohibited by FSSAI until further orders since Aug 2026.
How does a lab tell if ghee is adulterated?
The ghee standard requires plant sterols such as beta-sitosterol to be absent and sets a fatty acid profile. Their presence, or values outside the Butyro-refractometer, Reichert-Meissl, saponification and Polenske ranges, indicates foreign fat.
Official sources and primary records
- FSSAI bans sale of all ghee variants made by Daman-based SDP Industries over adulteration concernsPIBPress Information Bureau, Ministry of Food Processing Industries · 21 August 2026