Surat: In a major crackdown against adulterated food items, the Special Operation Group of the Surat Police and the Food and Safety Department of the Surat Municipal Corporation have busted a suspected paneer factory operating in the Pandesra area. The joint operation resulted in the seizure of a massive quantity of suspected paneer and machinery, leading to the sealing of the facility.
As per agency report, officials seized 1,401 kilograms of suspected paneer and machinery, with the total value of the confiscated items amounting to Rs 28,44,170. The discovery of such a large quantity of suspected paneer during the festive season has caused considerable alarm. Acting on specific information, the team raided Block Number 278 of Bhidbhanjan Society in Pandesra, where they discovered a large stock of unbranded loose paneer. Food Safety Officers J.S. Desai and T.S. Patel were present alongside the police team during the investigation.
During the raid, the police recovered suspected paneer valued at approximately Rs 3,08,220. Additionally, modern machinery used in the manufacturing process, including a pasteurization machine, homogenizer, and storage plant estimated to be worth around Rs 25 lakh, was seized. The team also found 28 empty and 16 full tins of Palmolein oil along with containers of acetic acid at the site. The factory manager, identified as 40-year-old Maheshkumar Purnashankar Sharma, a native of Udaipur, Rajasthan, and currently residing in the Althan area of Surat, was found present at the location.
Interrogation revealed that the accused had been running this business for the past two years, producing approximately 400 kilograms of paneer daily to sell to various dairies in the city on a wholesale and retail basis. Investigations disclosed that the accused sold the product using stickers labeled Non Brand Loos Analogue Paneer. About 3,000 such stickers and nearly 1,000 plastic packets were recovered from the spot. The product was being sold at Rs 220 per kilogram, a price lower than genuine paneer, which led many customers to purchase it unknowingly.
The Food Safety Department has collected samples of the suspected paneer and sent them to the laboratory for testing, while the entire stock has been sealed. Officials stated that if the laboratory report confirms the paneer is harmful to health, strict legal action will be taken against the operator under the Food Safety Act.
