Laboratory tests have confirmed a shocking health hazard linked to the famous chhena and paneer from Cuttack's Niali and Adhaspur areas: the products are laced with refined flour (maida) and detergent.
The unsettling truth emerged after the State Food Safety Commissioner received test results from a Haryana laboratory. Samples had been sent following a joint raid by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Health Department, which seized 73 quintals of adulterated paneer valued at roughly ₹17 lakh.
Key Findings:
Dangerous Additives: Detergent was added specifically to artificially soften the paneer, while maida, starch, and a chemical named "Paras" were used to increase weight and cut production costs.
Action Taken: The massive stock of 73 quintals of tainted paneer was seized and subsequently destroyed during the crackdown.
Health officials have sounded the alarm over the widespread adulteration affecting a product popular across local markets.