Don’t say cheese: 2,000kg spurious paneer seized in Mohali, unit owner arrested

The Mohali health department has seized 20.6 quintal of spurious cottage cheese or paneer, 130 packets (33 quintal) of skimmed milk powder and other products, including sulphuric acid, from a manufacturing unit in Ballomajra, arresting its owner, Ashok Kumar.

Powders or chemicals reportedly used to make the cheese have also been seized but the health officials have yet to get them analysed.

Acting on a complaint of the Progressive Dairy Farmers’ Association, the officials raided the place where the cheese was stocked and sealed the building.

Kumar closed down his business in Badmajra and moved here around two years ago, supplying dairy products to restaurants and dhabas at Pinjore, Kalka, Rajpura and Panchkula, besides some local colonies.

“A team headed by district health officer RS Kang raided the premises at around 3am and recovered spurious cheese and other dairy products,” a department official said, requesting anonymity as he’s not authorised to speak to the media,

A local attendant of the factory told the team that they made cheese, ghee, butter and other dairy products from 5,000 litres of milk collected daily from Lehragaga in Sangrur village, the official added.

According to Kang, “There was no source of milk collection. However, we found some chemicals. Besides, in one of the rooms adjacent to the building, the team found 130 bags of powdered skimmed milk. Each bag weighed 25kg. When we asked for papers of the consignment, the owner failed to produce it.”

He said the skimmed powder was not of an authentic brand.

The owner also failed to produce the license required for making dairy products. He was given 15 days to get onee or face criminal proceedings under the Food Safety Act, Kang added.

The team also lifted five samples of milk, cheese, ghee, butter and curd for testing which will be tested and reports received in three weeks. “If the reports are positive, criminal proceedings will be initiated in ADC’s court,” Kang said.

The unit where the dairy products were made, allegedly with chemicals not identified as yet, was also dirty. An attendant present told the health officials that “a powder”, believed to be a chemical, was mixed with water and then in milk to separate it and then make the cheese and other dairy products.

The seizure included 20.6 quintals of spurious paneer, 89 kg butter, ghee and 10 kg milk cream with 3,375 kg skimmed milk and 120 litres of sulphuric acid.

A case was also registered at the Balongi police station on a food safety department complaint. “We have registered a case under Section 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 273 (sale of noxious food) and 420 (cheating),” said Manphul Singh, SHO Balongi.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Ashok Kumar sold the product at market prices. If found guilty of selling spurious products he will have to face criminal proceedings under relevant sections, which can invite jail terms of seven years, apart from being tried at the court of the additional deputy commissioner.

He has denied the allegations, saying no chemical was available in the factory. “Let the sample report come. I have done nothing wrong,” Ashok Kumar is reported to have told a health official.

When asked how spurious cheese could be detected, Kang said lab tests helped. “If we put cheese in water and boil it for some time, synthetic cheese will leave the water greasy. This cheese has no taste while genuine paneer has milky flavour”.

Food acid in the form of citric acid, lemon juice, vinegar or yogurt is added to milk to separate it and make paneer .