Food safety team Seizes 1,300 kg of spurious paneer in Patiala

In a crackdown on food adulteration, the Food Safety Team, acting on a police tip-off, seized around 1,300 kg of spurious paneer.

The operation, led by District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Gurpreet Kaur and Food Safety Officer (FSO) Ishan Bansal, successfully intercepted a vehicle transporting the adulterated dairy product from Haryana into Punjab.

The vehicle, bearing a Haryana registration number, was stopped at Police Post Kasturba Chonki, Rajpura. The team discovered a large quantity of paneer suspected to be spurious. Two samples were collected for laboratory analysis to determine the quality and safety of the product. The remaining 1,378 kg of paneer was confiscated and sealed by the food safety team.

“We received credible information from the police regarding the transport of potentially adulterated paneer from Haryana. Acting swiftly, we intercepted the vehicle and seized the entire stock,” the FSO said.

The DHO, meanwhile, emphasised the seriousness of the situation, adding, “ The consumption of spurious paneer can pose significant health risks. We are committed to ensuring the safety of food products available to the public and will take stringent action against those involved in such malpractices. Further action will be taken based on the results of the laboratory tests.”

The operation was conducted under the strict directives of Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Dilraj Singh, and Deputy Commissioner Patiala Dr Preeti Yadav.

The authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases of food adulteration to the Food Safety Department.

They also reiterated their commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against those involved in the sale and distribution of spurious food items.

Patiala