Hyderabad Police Seizes 825 kg Fake Paneer Made Of Synthetic Milk, Vegetable Fat
The Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force has uncovered large-scale sales of fake and misbranded paneer across the city, seizing around 825 kilograms of suspected adulterated products during special raids.
Special Police teams inspected nearly 45 retail outlets and eight manufacturing units and found several food business operators selling Cheese Analogue products as paneer, misleading consumers.
Cheese Analogue is made using vegetable fats and non-milk ingredients, but it was allegedly being sold under labels such as “Paneer”, “Malai Paneer”, “Milk Paneer”, and “Fresh Paneer”.
Also Read: Food Authority Warns Against Using Newspapers For Food Packaging
In many cases, products lacked basic details like manufacturing date, batch number, expiry date, and proper declarations.
”Some traders were buying Cheese Analogue from manufacturers in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh and selling it as paneer to earn higher profits.” Deputy Commissioner of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad Raghunath said.
Authorities also found cases where bulk products were repacked under misleading names such as “Premium Paneer” without proper licences or traceability.
Inspections revealed several food safety violations, including the use of starch, excess water, non-milk fats, poor-quality or synthetic milk, and even non-food-grade substances. Officials also found businesses operating without valid FSSAI licences and storing products in unhygienic conditions.
“These practices amount to consumer deception and pose serious health risks, including food poisoning and allergic reactions,” DCP added.
He warned that strict legal action would be taken against those found violating food safety rules.
The official said enforcement drives are continuing across the city and food samples have been sent for laboratory testing. More inspections are likely in the coming days.
Authorities have advised consumers to buy paneer only from licensed vendors, check labels and expiry dates carefully, and avoid loose or unlabelled products. People have also been urged to report any suspected food safety violations.
