Kataka: Kataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) has filed a complaint against 11 people over the alleged sale of adulterated paneer after laboratory tests detected maida, starch powder and detergent in samples seized during an enforcement drive.
The complaint was lodged by the KMC Health Department at Madhupatna police station after test reports of samples collected from around 73 quintals of seized paneer were received, sources said.
The persons named in the complaint include small-scale farmers and vendors allegedly involved in the supply and sale of the dairy products.
Authorities had earlier seized around 70 quintals of cheese and paneer from 11 traders during an inspection. The products were reportedly brought to Kataka from Niali.
Around 17 quintals of the seized stock were destroyed, while samples were sent to a laboratory in Haryana for testing.
The laboratory report found detergent powder, maida and starch powder in the paneer. The substances were allegedly being used to make the paneer softer and smoother and to increase its weight, according to the findings.
The detection of adulterants has raised concerns over the safety of dairy products being sold in Kataka and other parts of Odisha, with authorities stepping up enforcement against suspected adulteration.
The development comes amid similar enforcement drives in Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Berhampur and Sambalpur following reports of paneer adulteration.
Meanwhile, Kataka District Food Safety Officer Amita Das was transferred on September 24 in connection with the paneer adulteration case reported from the Niali area. The transfer came after the Haryana laboratory report was received.
