What’s really on your plate? 10 food joints caught selling fake paneer

Ahmedabad: Consumers in Ahmedabad may want to take a closer look at what is being served on their plates. Civic authorities have found that several restaurants and food units in the city were selling non-dairy paneer — made from vegetable fat — as regular milk paneer, without disclosing it to the customers.The food department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) recently discovered that non-dairy paneer, which contains vegetable fat and lower milk fat content, was being passed off as dairy paneer in restaurants, hotels and food units. While the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 permits the use of non-dairy or analogue paneer, regulations require that it be clearly mentioned on the menu. Selling it as milk paneer without disclosure amounts to misleading consumers.
Between Feb 1 and 22, AMC's food department carried out an extensive inspection drive across the city. During this period, 1,083 restaurants, hotels and food establishments were inspected and notices were issued to 432 units. Authorities also destroyed 823 kg of inedible food and 878 litres of inedible liquid. A total of 495 food samples were collected for testing, including 110 samples of dairy products such as paneer. Of these, 10 paneer samples from 10 different restaurants and food units were found to substandard after laboratory tests revealed the high content of vegetable fat.The establishments whose paneer samples failed quality standards include Barbeque Nation in Nikol, Jay Kalyan Fast Food in Thakkarbapanagar, The Leo Pizza in Bapunagar, Krishna Aloo Paratha Centre in Navrangpura, Jay Bhavani Bhojanalay in Vejalpur, Maa Ki Rasoi in Satellite, Nutrilicious in Jodhpur, Ubot Hospitality Pvt Ltd in Naranpura, The Real Paprika on Anandnagar Road and Pizzart in the Amraiwadi. These units were fined between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000.Following the findings, AMC officials traced the supply chain of the paneer and conducted raids at three locations. A total of 173kg of paneer was seized, including 14kg from a dairy unit on Sola Road, 110 kg from a dairy in Vejalpur and 49kg from a dairy in Naroda.The civic body has warned that inspections will continue in the coming days. The food department plans to check a wide range of items including cold drinks, snacks, ice cream, lassi, dry fruits, dairy products, bakery products, edible oils, prepared foods and raw materials. Hotels and restaurants operating without licence or registration will also face strict action.(GFX sent to designers)Box: What are the rules on analog paneer?An official of the AMC said that while the use of ‘analog paneer' is permitted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, it cannot be sold or presented as regular milk paneer. "Several food establishments are using analog paneer but marketing it as milk paneer, which amounts to misleading consumers," the official said. He added that eateries and food units must clearly specify ‘analog paneer' on their menus wherever it is used. Any violation will invite action under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations and the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act.What's the difference Milk Paneer Made from fresh milk and contains natural milk fat Rich in protein and offers higher nutritional value More expensive due to its pure milk content Analogue Paneer Prepared using vegetable oil (often palm oil), starch, and milk powder or milk solids Contains vegetable fat instead of natural milk fat Lower in protein and nutritional value compared to milk paneer Cheaper because it uses oil and starch as substitutes How to differentiate? Texture: Milk paneer is soft, slightly crumbly, and may release some moisture. Analogue paneer is rubbery and tends to regain shape after pressing Cooking: Milk Paneer softens but does not turn rubbery or excessively hard. But analogue paneer feels greasy and may become rubbery when cooked