Gandhinagar, Aug 7 (IANS) Gujarat’s food safety authorities have destroyed more than 1,700 kg of imitation paneer and cheese products in a two-day enforcement drive as the state announced a ban on the manufacture, sale, storage, transport, and distribution of analogue paneer, cheese, and butter.
The Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) said it carried out surprise inspections at 842 business establishments across the state on August 6 and 7 following directions from Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Health Minister Praful Pansheriya to ensure that consumers receive pure and quality food products.
According to the FDCA, inspection teams seized and destroyed 1,705 kg of paneer and cheese analogue products, estimated to be worth Rs 5.28 lakh, after identifying them as adulterated products harmful to public health.
The largest seizure on August 6 was reported in Vadodara Municipal Corporation, where 471 kg of dairy analogue products worth around Rs 1.5 lakh were destroyed.
Surat Municipal Corporation destroyed 235 kg valued at more than Rs 58,000, while Rajkot Municipal Corporation destroyed 115 kg worth over Rs 30,000.
On August 7, Junagadh district recorded the biggest seizure, with authorities destroying 585 kg of dairy analogue products worth more than Rs 2.04 lakh.
Surat Municipal Corporation destroyed a further 27 kg worth Rs 6,750, while Jamnagar Municipal Corporation destroyed 29 kg worth Rs 6,500.
Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said the state government had adopted a “zero tolerance” policy against traders engaged in food adulteration.
“There will be no negligence with people’s health. Any trader or manufacturer who endangers public health by selling analogue products in the name of milk, paneer or cheese will not be spared,” Pansheriya said.
He also directed hotels, restaurants and food businesses to use only pure and certified food products, adding that the FDCA would continue inspection and enforcement drives across the state in the coming days.
The crackdown follows Gujarat’s decision to prohibit analogue dairy products, after months of inspections found such products being sold or used in place of genuine dairy items.
Earlier this year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had instructed food businesses that cheese analogue products must not be sold as paneer and that restaurants using such ingredients must clearly disclose this to consumers through menus or display boards.
Analogue paneer is a non-dairy substitute typically made using vegetable fats and other ingredients instead of milk.
While its manufacture is permitted under food standards when correctly labelled, authorities have said consumers were frequently being misled by its sale as genuine paneer, prompting stricter enforcement and the recent state-level ban.
–IANS
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