92% of paneer samples in Gujarat found to be fake, can cause cancer, heart diseases, warn doctors

In Surat, a stock of 315 kg of fake paneer was seized on Sunday. As per reports, the accused had been selling fake paneer for the past four months.

92% of paneer in Gujarat found fake

The Gujarat Sweets and Farsan Association recently revealed that about 92% of paneer available in Gujarat is fake. Recently, the Food and Drug Control Authority (FDCA) in Gandhinagar conducted a survey of paneer served in more than 300 hotels across the state. In this survey, over 35% of paneer samples taken from different hotels failed quality checks. FDCA sources said these failed samples were either fake or adulterated paneer.

Out of the 300 hotels surveyed, around 100 were found to be serving adulterated or fake paneer to customers. This exposes people to the risk of serious illnesses. Tests on over 100 failed samples showed adulteration with palm oil, soybean oil, and acidic substances. Such adulteration is done for high profits at the cost of public health.

Paneer is generally classified into three categories:

• Standard paneer – with more than 50% milk fat
• Medium-fat paneer – with 20% to 50% milk fat
• Low-fat paneer – with about 20% milk fat

Among these, only standard paneer should be served as food. But to create fake paneer, adulterators mix palm oil, soybean oil, and acetic acid into paneer with only 10–15% milk fat to make it appear like standard paneer. Eating such paneer leads to serious health risks.

Greater risk of disease

Doctors say if a person consumes such adulterated paneer occasionally, they may suffer from short-term problems like indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, gastritis, or allergies. But if consumed regularly, it increases the risk of stomach ulcers, stomach cancer, cholesterol build-up, and blockages in the arteries of the heart. It may also lead to kidney disease, liver damage, and diabetes.

How to identify fake paneer

• Real paneer is soft, while fake paneer stretches like rubber when broken.
• To test, boil paneer in hot water. Add soybean powder or flour. If the paneer is fake, its color will change immediately.
• Paneer made with detergent or urea turns red while boiling.
• Boil paneer in hot water for five minutes, then add a few drops of tincture iodine. If the color turns blue, the paneer is fake.