Report

The food safety department raided several dairy shops in Arjun Nagar, Gurgaon, on Wednesday, collecting samples of milk products, including cottage cheese and curd, for quality analysis. The operation followed complaints from locals about suspected adulteration. Officials gathered samples from Ak Paneer Bhandar, Sahid Paneer, and Haryana Paneer Bhandar. They also collected curd and nearly 50kg of paneer from Gauri Dairy, all of which emitted a foul odour. The department has sent the samples to the FSSAI laboratory in Karnal for testing.

Cottage Cheese Quality Standards and Violations

According to regulations, cottage cheese must be made from milk containing at least 50% fat. If the fat content is lower, manufacturers must label and sell it as “low-fat.” The use of milk powder is strictly prohibited, as it lacks fat content. However, many stores use cheaper milk or milk powder and add unhealthy ingredients like palm oil to compensate for the deficiency. “Cottage cheese made this way is harmful and should not be considered natural,” said Dr Ramesh Chauhan, the district food safety officer.

Testing Results and Legal Consequences

The FSSAI lab will release the test results in 14 days. If the samples fail quality standards, officials will issue a notice to the manufacturer. Sellers of contaminated products must respond, either accepting the results and explaining the failure or requesting further testing at a central government laboratory. If the central government lab confirms the substandard quality, the ADM court will impose penalties on the manufacturer.

Source: The Times of India