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FSDA seizes 4,810Kg adulterated paneer on Lko-Agra expressway, destroys it
FSDA destroyed 4,810kg of adulterated paneer worth ₹10.50 lakh after a raid on the Lucknow-Agra expressway, ensuring food safety during peak season.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) destroyed 4,810kg paneer worth ₹10.50 lakh seized during a special raid conducted on three trucks on the Lucknow-Agra expressway on Monday morning.
Suspecting adulteration, a team of FSDA had seized the huge amount of paneer.
The paneer was found to be unfit for human consumption. Assistant commissioner FSDA VP Singh said that a rapid quality test conducted by the FSDA lab confirmed the paneer was adulterated. It was made from skimmed milk powder, and to increase its fat content, oils and other fatty ingredients were added, rendering it unsafe for consumption.
The seized paneer was destroyed in a pit later in the evening. Singh said, “During the marriage season, this paneer is used by caterers, hotels, restaurants, and eateries.”
He said, “This action is part of FSDA’s ongoing efforts to ensure food safety, especially during peak consumption periods. The department will continue to monitor and regulate food products to protect public health.”
Earlier, acting on a tip-off, the team officers led by assistant commissioner FSDA Vijay Pratap Singh, conducted a raid at the 10-kilometre milestone toll plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway.
During the inspection, three vehicles arriving from Agra—bearing registration numbers UP 85 ET 8223, UP 85 ET 4378, and UP 81 ET 2903—were found transporting large quantities of paneer.
Authorities recovered 2,000 kg, 1,800 kg, and 1,010 kg of paneer from each vehicle respectively, raising concerns over its quality and origin.
Food samples were collected from each vehicle in accordance with food safety regulations were sent for laboratory analysis.
The vehicles were linked to Azad, son of Digambar Singh from Mathura (Radhe Milk Product), Bhim Singh, son of Chandrapal Singh from Mathura (Atul Dairy) and Arif, son of Unnas, from Mathura (Ayat Milk Dairy, Palwal, Haryana).
Assistant commissioner FSDA VP Singh said, “FSDA is aware of the problems of substandard quality of paneer getting dumped into the Lucknow market from other cities. The paneer samples have been sent to state labs for testing. If anything substandard is found in the samples, strict action would be taken.”
The operation was carried out by FSDA officers Ratnakar Pandey, Rakesh Kumar Singh, Satyaveer Singh, Devesh Singh, and Avneesh Kumar Singh.
