Rajkot: The health department of Rajkot Municipal Corporation today conducted a surprise raid on a paneer factory located near Satellite Chowk on Morbi Road and seized about 500 kg of suspected fake paneer. Two different samples of paneer have been taken and sent to the laboratory for testing. The investigation revealed that the factory was running illegally without any kind of food licence, and the entire unit has been sealed.

The Municipal Corporation has also issued a notice to the factory operator, Prakashbhai Harsoda, imposing a fine of Rs. 10,000. The officials are now conducting a detailed investigation into where the paneer was brought from and what kind of substances were mixed in it.

The Chief Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation, Dr. Jayesh Vankani, said that an intensive inspection campaign is being conducted against units manufacturing and selling dairy products, especially paneer and analogue paneer, in Rajkot city. The food safety team is inspecting hygiene and food safety standards in various areas.

500 kg of Suspected Fake Paneer Seized, Rajkot Civic Body Seals Illegal Unithttps://t.co/URP9SJFEX2 pic.twitter.com/LWcLuYyqsl

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He said that a special campaign was conducted against paneer units in the city from June 25 to July 1. During this period, three units were sealed on June 25, three more on June 29, and one unit on June 30. The action on Morbi Road is also part of the same campaign.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the paneer seized from Morbi Road was ordered from a company located in the Satellite area of Ahmedabad. It has been found that the company has an FSSAI licence to manufacture analogue paneer, along with the related bills. However, it has come to light that in Rajkot, cubes of this analogue paneer are being sold loose as pure milk paneer without any kind of licence, thereby cheating customers. For this reason, action has been taken to seal the factory.

Dr. Vankani said that analogue paneer is not real paneer made from milk, but is usually prepared from vegetable oil or foreign fat. Its consumption does not provide the body with the necessary milk protein, while increasing the intake of unnecessary fat. In the long run, its consumption can cause several health problems, including obesity.

He further said that continuous consumption of such paneer can adversely affect the development of children and may lead to hormonal imbalance. Apart from this, the risk of serious diseases such as heart disease, blocked arteries, hypertension and diabetes can also increase.

The health department has also instructed all hotels, restaurants, dhabas and paneer sellers in the city to clearly display boards at their places of business informing customers whether they serve milk paneer or analogue paneer. If such display boards are not found during the next inspection, strict legal action, including sealing, will be taken against the concerned traders. DeshGujarat