7.6 tonnes of paneer destroyed after Nuh inspections find unhygienic storage

Around 7,600kg of paneer was buried in a pit after a joint team inspected three operating units near the Gurgaon canal in Gaudhola village, Nuh, officials said.

The paneer had been kept in dirty containers and on unhygienic platforms, prompting its destruction to prevent it from entering the food chain. Teams also found fabric whitener, an industrial-grade bleaching agent, refined palm oil, soybean and poster white colour at the premises. Their presence does not establish that they were used in the paneer; food samples have been sealed and will be tested in a laboratory.

The drive, ordered by Nuh deputy commissioner Akhil Pilani, involved the food safety department, police, revenue officials and Haryana State Pollution Control Board personnel. A fourth paneer-making unit in Nai village was also inspected.

Officials said no owner, manager or food-business operator was present at the three Gaudhola units when teams arrived. They also alleged that wastewater and other effluents from the units were being released into the canal. The pollution board has begun examining the alleged breach.

Further action under food-safety law will depend on the laboratory results and the pollution inquiry.