NTI (Haridwar): In a major crackdown amid the ongoing wedding season, Uttarakhand Police and the Food Safety Department on Thursday night intercepted and destroyed nearly 700 kilograms of suspected adulterated paneer being smuggled from Uttar Pradesh to Dehradun. The consignment was being transported in an unmarked pickup van without number plates, invoices, or mandatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certification. Acting on suspicion during routine checking at the interstate border, police stopped the vehicle and discovered several plastic drums filled with paneer.
A team from the Food Safety Department was immediately summoned. Preliminary tests declared the paneer unfit and potentially hazardous for human consumption. The entire 700 kg consignment was seized, buried in a pit at the spot, and destroyed as per protocol. Samples have been sent to a laboratory for detailed chemical analysis. The driver of the vehicle has been taken into custody, and interrogation is underway to trace the supply chain and identify the real owners.
Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Parmendra Dobhal confirmed the seizure, stating, “Since Diwali, we have intensified checking at all Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand entry points to curb the influx of adulterated food items. Wedding season sees a massive spike in demand for paneer, khoya, and sweets, which unfortunately attracts unscrupulous elements. This vehicle was flagged during the ongoing special drive.”
He added that authorities are now investigating the origin of the consignment, intended recipients, and the masterminds behind the operation. Strict action will be taken against all involved under relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act and IPC. Officials revealed that in the past fortnight alone, over 2,000 kg of adulterated paneer and khoya have been seized and destroyed at Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar borders. With 300–400 weddings taking place daily in the Haridwar-Rishikesh-Dehradun belt during November, huge quantities of dairy products are being sourced not just from within Uttarakhand but also from Uttar Pradesh and other states, making round-the-clock border monitoring essential.
Food safety officers warned that most seized batches contain synthetic paneer made using harmful substances such as vegetable fat, urea, detergent powder, and caustic soda, which pose serious health risks including kidney damage and gastrointestinal disorders. The department has urged the public to purchase paneer, mawa, and sweets only from FSSAI-licensed and reputed vendors during weddings and festivals. Citizens have been requested to immediately report suspiciously cheap or unlabeled dairy products to police helpline 112 or the national food safety helpline 1800-11-2100. With the wedding season in full swing and December expected to be even busier, joint teams of police and food safety officials have been deployed 24×7 at all major entry points. Authorities have vowed zero tolerance against food adulteration to protect public health during the festive period.
