1,000 kg paneer, 68 kg cream seized from dairy complex in Jalandhar on adulteration suspicions

The Food Safety Department, Jalandhar, on Wednesday seized 1,000 kg paneer and 68 kg cream from a storage facility on the Kala Sanghian road after the establishment owner failed to produce proof of the manufacture of the paneer at his establishment. The facility belongs to a leading paneer supplier and dairy owner in Jalandhar.

During the raids, 9 milk and milk-product samples were taken from dairy outlets at the Jamsher Dairy Complex and Model House. Under Assistant Food Commissioner, a food safety team comprising officials Mukul Gill, Robin Kumar and Ravi Nandan raided a paneer (cottage cheese) supplier's shops at the Jamsher Dairy Complex and Model House. Minute checks were conducted at Chawla Dairy, Model House, whose owner supplies paneer in the city.

The record concerning the sale of milk and milk products was sought from the owner of Chawla Dairy, who informed that the milk products at his establishment were prepared on Kala Sanghian road. Upon raiding the establishment, it was found that only ghee and curd were prepared there and paneer wasn't manufactured. Due to an unsatisfactory reply from the dairy owner regarding the facility where he manufactured paneer, the Health Department took 2 packets of paneer, 1 cream, 1 ghee and a curd sample from the establishment.

On suspicion of adulteration in paneer and cream stored at the facility, the entire paneer and cream stock was also seized. 1000 kg spurious paneer and 68 kg cream was seized from the place. The team also collected 3 milk and 1 ghee sample from Radhe Dairy, Lovely Dairy and Satpal Dairy at the Jamsher Dairy Complex.

All 9 samples collected by the authorities have been sent to the State Food Laboratory for testing. Department officials said they had also written to the state food analyst seeking a report on the samples of the seized stock.