The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) department on Saturday seized and destroyed around 450 kg of allegedly fake paneer during a raid at a private manufacturing unit in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh, officials said.

Adulterated paneer found during inspection

According to officials, the adulterated paneer was being manufactured at Raunak Enterprises under the brand name Surabhi Sponge. The product was allegedly prepared by mixing palm oil and milk powder, a process the department said was unsafe and harmful to public health.

The seized stock was declared unfit for consumption and destroyed on the spot after inspection.

Raid followed repeated public complaints

The raid was conducted by a 15-member team of the Food Safety and Drug Administration from Rajnandgaon and Raipur after the department received repeated complaints about the manufacture of fake paneer at the unit.

Officials said production was underway when the inspection team reached the factory premises, indicating that the adulterated product was actively being prepared for supply.

Officials confirm health risks

Ashish Yadav, designated officer of the Food Safety and Drug Administration, said the department had been closely monitoring the unit following continuous complaints.
“The paneer was being prepared by mixing palm oil and milk powder, which is harmful to health. Acting on these complaints, we conducted the raid and destroyed the seized stock,” he said.

Other products under scrutiny

District Food Safety and Drug Officer Tarun Birla said samples of other dairy products manufactured at the same facility, including kalakand and milk cake, had also been collected during the inspection. These samples have been sent to a laboratory for detailed analysis to check for adulteration.

He added that the factory’s licence has been cancelled with immediate effect following the findings.

Stock destroyed at factory premises

Officials said the seized fake paneer was destroyed by burying it within the factory premises as per safety norms, to ensure it could not re-enter the market.

Food safety authorities reiterated that strict action would be taken against units involved in food adulteration and urged consumers to report suspected cases. They said such drives would continue to safeguard public health and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.