Nearly 70% of Jharkhand Paneer Samples Fail Tests

Jharkhand’s food-safety authorities tested approximately 60 paneer samples collected from almost all districts since September 20. Around 70% failed standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to data released by the state authorities.

Ranchi reported one of the highest failure rates. Five of more than six samples collected in the capital district did not pass laboratory verification. Food-safety teams have widened inspections of dairies and other food businesses, including units producing milk, khoya, edible oils and cottage cheese, as demand rises during the autumn festival period.

Under FSSAI rules, paneer must be made by acid-coagulating bovine milk. The product must contain at least 50% milk fat on a dry-matter basis and no more than 60% moisture. The testing results indicate that many products did not comply with these compositional requirements.

Ranchi food-safety officer Pawan Kumar said that substandard paneer can provide less dairy protein and usable calcium than genuine paneer. He also cited possible exposure to unapproved coagulants, synthetic emulsifiers and higher microbial loads where refrigeration and handling are inadequate.

Demand for paneer, curds and traditional sweets increases during Navratri, Durga Puja and Diwali. The report describes the seasonal market as a period in which informal processors may produce paneer from skimmed milk powder, urea, detergents and vegetable oils instead of relying solely on fresh milk. On September 26, inspectors seized 48kg of suspected adulterated paneer and related perishable products from a dairy in Ranchi’s Steel Gate area. The facility had an expired FSSAI registration, and the licensee was not present, according to the report.

The quality failures have also affected competition between informal sellers and established processors. The Jharkhand State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation markets dairy products under the Medha brand, while private dairy companies use cold-chain systems, automated pressing equipment and Fourier-transform infrared testing as part of their compliance processes. The report says lower-cost, non-compliant products are sold through wholesale markets and local sweet shops.

The report also links the issue to milk procurement by organised processors. It says smallholder farmers depend on regular demand for their milk, while the use of non-dairy ingredients by illicit manufacturers reduces the amount of genuine milk entering formal procurement channels. Authorities are increasing laboratory testing, supply-chain inspections and checks on retail vendors as part of the enforcement response.