120 kg of spurious paneer seized by Food Department

Officials of the Food Department during a raid at a food joint in Phagwara on Sunday. 

Phagwara, August 26 

To check the spurious paneer and other milk products, a team of Food Department headed by Assistant Commissioner Dr Harjotpal Singh and District Food Safety Officer Dr Satnam Singh, on a tip off, raided a residence-cum-business place of a food business operator at Ambedkar Park, Palahi Road here. 

It has been found to be dealing in milk products, mainly paneer. The search was carried out in the presence of the police officials at 4.30 am on Sunday.

Satnam Singh later told newsmen that about 120 kg of low quality paneer was found in the premises. The said paneer was supplied to Phagwara from Gurdaspur. 

The entire stock of 120 kg of paneer was seized after taking 2 samples of the same paneer. The samples would be sent to State Food Laboratory, Kharar for further analysis. 

According to the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, paneer should contain 50 per cent of dry matter and 60 per cent of moisture. The DFO said normal paneer was available in market at a price about Rs 260. In contrast, paneer brought from other districts was said to be sold at a price of Rs 140-150. This kind of paneer was usually prepared from skimmed milk powder and starch. The fat content of such paneer is much less. 

Singh said all the sweet shop owners have been directed to prepare and sale healthy, safe and quality sweets items, so that the festivals are celebrated in their true spirit. They have also been directed to keep sweets and milk products at proper temperature, as in the present day temperature conditions, they tend to deteriorate quickly because of microbial growth. 

This move by the Food Department against the food business operators engaged in the unscrupulous business of adulterated and spurious food stuffs will be continued in the future also to ensure that the citizens get pure and healthy food.