Hyderabad: In a major enforcement drive against food adulteration and consumer fraud, the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force has uncovered widespread misbranding and illegal sale of Cheese Analogue products as paneer across the city. Authorities seized nearly 825 kilograms of suspected adulterated and misbranded food products during raids conducted on Tuesday.
According to officials, Cheese Analogue products made primarily from vegetable fats and non-milk ingredients were being sold under misleading names such as Paneer, Malai Paneer, Milk Paneer, Low Fat Paneer, Medium Fat Paneer, and Fresh Paneer without proper declaration. Such practices amount to misbranding and deceive consumers who believe they are purchasing genuine dairy products.
Investigations revealed that several Food Business Operators (FBOs) procured Cheese Analogue products from manufacturers and suppliers in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh and sold them as paneer for higher profits. In some instances, traders reportedly ordered paneer but were supplied Cheese Analogue as a substitute.
Officials noted that manufacturers often label the product correctly as “Cheese Analogue” and mention that it contains no dairy fat. However, at the retail level, some vendors allegedly remove or ignore such declarations and market the product as paneer. Several establishments were also found operating without valid FSSAI licences and repackaging bulk products under deceptive labels such as “Premium Paneer” without proper traceability or mandatory declarations.
During the special inspections, approximately 45 retail outlets and eight manufacturing units were examined. Authorities also detected food safety violations, including the addition of starch, excess water, non-milk fats, poor-quality or synthetic milk, and other non-food-grade substances. Unhygienic storage conditions and absence of mandatory labelling were also observed.
Police warned that such practices pose serious health risks, including food poisoning, allergic reactions, and the consumption of unsafe and inferior-quality products.
The Task Force stated that strict enforcement drives are continuing across the city and food samples have been collected for laboratory analysis. Violators will face stringent legal action under food safety laws.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner’s Task Force, Vaibhav Gaikwad Raghunath, IPS, urged consumers to purchase paneer only from licensed vendors, verify labels and expiry dates, avoid loose or unlabelled products, and report any suspected violations to authorities.
