Surat, 17 November: In a joint effort to curb the sale of adulterated food items and protect public health, the Surat City Special Operation Group and the Food and Safety Department of the Surat Municipal Corporation conducted two major raids, leading to the seizure of suspected fake paneer and adulterated mawa worth lakhs of rupees.
As per agency report, the first raid was carried out in Udhna, where suspected analogue paneer was seized. Acting on confidential information received by the Special Operation Group, food safety officials J. M. Desai and T. S. Patel raided Shreeji Provision Store located in Patel Colony of Jyotinagar Society in Udhna village. During inspection in the presence of store manager Navalkishore Motiram Garg, the team seized 70 kilograms of suspicious malai paneer valued at Rs 24,500 and 10 kilograms of suspected analogue paneer worth Rs 2,400. Analogue paneer is made using cheaper substitutes such as vegetable oil instead of milk fat and can pose serious health risks. A total of 80 kilograms of suspected paneer worth Rs 26,900 was seized from the store.
In the second raid, officials recovered 168 kilograms of suspected mawa from a residential flat in the Poona-Magob area. Food officer D. D. Thakor, along with the SOG team, raided a flat in Priyanka City, located in the Magob locality. The operation uncovered a large quantity of suspected mawa from flat number 23 of building G-1, owned by Hanuman Ladhuram Bishnoi. The seized mawa, commonly used for making sweets, was valued at Rs 34,953.
In both operations, food safety officers sealed all the suspected paneer and mawa and sent samples to the laboratory for analysis. Officials stated that if the laboratory reports confirm adulteration or find the products unfit for consumption, strict legal action will be initiated against those involved in selling or distributing them. The raids have created significant panic among those engaged in food adulteration activities.
