470 kg of palm-oil-based paneer destroyed in raid, but delayed action raises concerns over public health and enforcement intent
Published on: December 21, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The Food Safety and Standards Department (FSSD) in Rajnandgaon has come under sharp public scrutiny after seizing and destroying a large consignment of allegedly fake paneer—only after the peak wedding season had ended.
On Friday morning, a special team from Raipur conducted a raid at Raunak Enterprises in the Panika area, confiscating nearly 470 kilograms of paneer suspected to be manufactured using palm oil rather than milk. The seized material was declared unsafe for consumption and was destroyed by burying it in a pit dug with the help of a JCB machine. The operation reportedly took place around 11 a.m.
According to officials, the paneer was being sold in the market as a dairy product despite being entirely synthetic in nature. While the department has projected the action as a major crackdown, critics argue that the timing of the raid has exposed serious lapses in enforcement and intent.
Why the Silence During Wedding Season?
Residents and consumer groups have questioned why the Food Safety Department remained inactive during the wedding season, when demand for milk, paneer, curd, and other dairy products peaks sharply. Complaints about fake paneer were reportedly being raised for weeks, with local newspapers also publishing warnings, yet no decisive action was taken at the time.
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Between November and mid-December, thousands of weddings were held across the district, consuming massive quantities of dairy products. With no inspections during this period, concerns are now being raised over how much adulterated or fake paneer may have been unknowingly consumed by the public.
Critics argue that seizing 470 kg of fake paneer after the season is over does little to protect public health, especially when large quantities may already have entered the food chain.
Action or Optics?
Consumer activists maintain that if the department was genuinely committed to safeguarding public health, inspections should have been intensified before or during the wedding season. They also demand that the names of suppliers and distributors involved in adulteration be made public to alert consumers.
Every wedding season, prices of milk and dairy products surge, creating opportunities for unscrupulous traders to flood the market with synthetic substitutes. The recurring pattern of delayed enforcement, they allege, points more towards symbolic action than preventive regulation.
The core question now troubling Rajnandgaon residents is not about the paneer that was destroyed—but about the thousands of kilograms that may already have been consumed.
Public confidence in food safety enforcement remains shaken, as citizens seek a clear answer:
Is the Food Safety Department truly protecting public health, or merely completing procedural formalities after the damage is done?
