Punjab's paneer problem: Nearly half fails safety tests
Punjab is dealing with a serious paneer adulteration issue.
Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh shared that out of 531 paneer samples tested in 2024-25, about 37% were found sub-standard and 11% unsafe for consumption—many had added starch or chemicals that aren't supposed to be there.
Paneer tops India's food adulteration list; Punjab cracks down
FSSAI has named paneer the most adulterated food in India, with 83% of samples nationally failing safety standards—often due to toxic substances.
Punjab's failure rate is even higher than neighboring states.
In response, the state ramped up surprise checks, used mobile testing labs on wheels, and destroyed thousands of kilos of unsafe paneer and milk.
Over the last five years, Punjab has convicted 145 people for selling unsafe dairy products as part of its push to keep food safer for everyone.