81% paneer samples fail test in Faridabad

Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, February 22

The quality of paneer has taken a beating with 81 per cent of the samples taken last year failing the quality test.

A reply to a query filed through an RTI application by Varun Sheokand revealed that 22 of the 27 samples of paneer taken from across the city in 2018 were substandard.

Of these, 22 samples were taken in September 2018 as part of a special drive by the Department of Health (Food Safety).

Sheokand said while packaged paneer was sold at Rs 70 per 200 grams, many shops here had been selling it for between Rs 140 and Rs 200 per kg.

It was either supplied for marriages and parties or purchased by the poor and middle class. Demanding that adulteration be made a non-bailable offence, he said a PIL would be filed in the High Court soon.

Prithvi Singh, Food Safety Officer, claimed that the samples were substandard, but not injurious to health. He said these did not have fat of prescribed standard, which was punishable with a penalty.

He said the samples found to be adulterated or having bacteria could be taken up in court and fetch penalty, imprisonment or both.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Atul Kumar said no direction on food safety had been issued by his office and the Department of Health (Food Safety) was authorised to collect samples.