Red Bull Bean Mixed With Poster Whitener And A Mystery Chemical: Fake Paneer Factory Busted
If you regularly buy paneer (cottage cheese) from your local market, it's time to be extra cautious. A major food safety operation in Noida has uncovered an interstate racket producing and distributing fake paneer, posing serious health risks to consumers.
Fake Paneer Racket Busted In Noida
The Noida Police, in collaboration with the Food Department, has dismantled a large-scale food fraud operation producing fake paneer. Acting on a tip-off, officers from Sector-63 police station arrested four individuals and seized 14 quintals of fake paneer.
The fraud came to light when a Mahindra pickup van carrying a large quantity of suspicious paneer was stopped. The driver, 32-year-old Gulfam, was detained and interrogated, revealing an entire network behind the racket.
His information led to the arrest of two more suspects from Aligarh, Afsar and Guddu alias Rish. Police also raided their factory, recovering paneer -making equipment, raw materials, and dangerous chemicals.
How Fake Paneer Was Made
According to DCP Shakti Mohan Awasthi, the gang used a shocking method to replicate paneer. They boiled starch-heavy beans called Red Bull Bean (Sortex Clean) soaked in a liquid called saprota, then mixed in poster whitener and a mystery chemical stored in a blue container. The mixture was torn into a paneer -like texture, cooled in water, and pressed in cloth.
In another method, they boiled Dholpur milk powder in water, added tearing chemicals, and used Nutrilive refined oil to mimic creamy paneer. This fake paneer was sold to local vendors for Rs 180 per kilo.
Severe Health Risks
Officials have warned that the ingredients such as palmoline oil and poster colour pose serious health risks. Samples have been sent for laboratory testing, and legal action will be intensified based on the results.
First Published:
July 03, 2025, 12:09 IST
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