Ludhiana: Dist Health Dept team raids dairy shop at Lakkar Bazaar
The sale of spurious paneer, curd, khoya and ghee goes on unabated in the city. Not only are these products being prepared in the city, but are also making their way to places across the state.
Acting on a tip-off, health officials conducted a surprise inspection early this morning at Lakkar Bazaar and stopped a vehicle that was transporting dairy products from another district. The vehicle was found to be carrying paneer, curd, and desi ghee and preliminary checks indicated an absence of complete documentation and quality verification certificates.
Later, a shop at Lassi Chowk in Subhani Building was raided, following complaints of low quality paneer, curd and butter having been supplied to various marriage palaces from this shop. Officials of the Health Department, along with a police team, reached the shop this morning for a raid. As soon as the team reached the bazaar to conduct a raid, the nearby shopkeepers shut down their shops and fled the area. Samples of ghee, curd and paneer were collected from here.
This is not the first time that raids and inspections have been conducted here, but the business of supplying adulterated dairy products continues.
Complainant, Kuldeep Singh, who was also present on the spot during the raid said he was a resident of Dairy Chowk complex and had many times seen vehicles full of material coming to the area, but they never had milk. “I have been observing things from quite some time and later submitted a complaint with the department in this regard. The department should also conduct raid on marriage palaces where the products are being supplied,” he said.
The operation was led by Civil Surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur, with the support of District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Amarjit Kaur and the food safety team.
During the inspection, the health team collected five samples for laboratory testing—one of desi ghee, two of paneer, and two of curd.
Civil Surgeon Dr Ramandeep stated that the samples had been sent to the State Food Laboratory for analysis, and appropriate action would be taken based on the results as per the Food Safety and Standards Act. She emphasised the department’s ongoing commitment to ensuring public health through routine monitoring and enforcement.
DHO Dr Amarjit highlighted the need for all food business operators to comply with the FSSAI guidelines, including holding valid licenses, following hygienic practices, and ensuring proper labelling and documentation. She encouraged food handlers and sellers to adopt best practices in the interest of public safety and consumer trust.
Implications of consuming adulterated dairy products
Various adulterants such as detergents, urea, ammonium salts, sodium chloride, nitrates, sulphates, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, boric acid, neutralisers and melamine present in the milk give rise to serious health problems such as nausea, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, renal failure, heart problems, asthma, pneumonia, cancer and allergic reactions.
