Crackdown On Fake Paneer: AMC Seizes 22 Samples Across Ahmedabad After Gujarat Bans Analogue Products

Following the Gujarat government’s statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution, and sale of analogue paneer on 5 August, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has launched a massive city-wide crackdown. Teams from the AMC food department raided multiple dairy shops and storage godowns on Thursday, collecting 22 suspicious samples of paneer and sending them to the Public Health Laboratory for urgent chemical analysis.

The municipal drive will expand to cover local dairy units, hotels, restaurants, and street food vendors across all zones of the city in the coming days.

Zero Tolerance: Seals And Licence Cancellations For Violators

The AMC has issued a stern warning to all stakeholders in the city's dairy supply chain, including manufacturers, wholesalers, chilling unit operators, caterers, and hoteliers. Civic authorities warned that any establishment caught substituting authentic milk paneer with synthetic or analogue variants will face immediate cancellation of their business licence and get their premises sealed on the spot.

Additionally, offender units will face legal prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines and the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act before an adjudicating officer or the court.

Six-Month Audit Reveals Widespread Adulteration

Providing details of past enforcement, AMC Food Department official Tejash Shah revealed that out of 218 paneer samples collected over the last six months under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, 57 were declared sub-standard. Lab testing found 23 of these samples contained synthetic analogue paneer, while 34 lacked the mandatory milk fat content required by law.

Legal proceedings under Sections 51 and 52 have been initiated against the defaulting vendors, where convicted offenders face fines of up to ₹5 lakh.

AMC To Deploy 45 New Food Safety Officers

The intense inspection drive comes at a crucial moment for civic administration in Ahmedabad. For years, routine food sampling across thousands of eateries and restaurants had taken a back seat due to 45 vacant Food Safety Officer positions within the municipal food department, triggering persistent complaints regarding adulterated food across the city.

However, civic officials confirmed that the recruitment drive is nearing completion following the written examination held on 4 August 2026. With the final merit list now finalized, successful candidates are set to receive their appointment letters later this month, significantly boosting the city's food safety enforcement division.