Low-quality cheese keeps officials on toes

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 7

Kapurthala Health Department officials on Friday seized 1.4 quintal of low-quality cheese from a vehicle. It was the third major seizure of cheese in the city.

In the past one month, as many as 3.6 quintals of low-quality cheese have been seized in the area.

The supply of low-quality cheese from the Gurdaspur-Amritsar belt to Kapurthala-Jalandhar has left the Health Department in a fix.

Health officials said as per the estimate, at least 40 quintals — at least four vehicles — are being transpoted to Doaba via Gurdaspur and Amritsar per week.

However, with Health and Dairy Department teams intensifying checks, manufacturers have started changing their modus operandi.

Health officials said a large number of eateries and vends in Doaba cities seemed to be the reason behind low priced cheese being sent to the region.

The authorities laid at least 15 nakas, including five at Begowal, four at Dhilwan and three at Phagwara, in the past one month.

On Friday, Health and Dairy Departments teams intercepted an Innova carrying 1.4 quintal of low-quality cheese at a naka in Subhanpur. The car was coming from Gurdaspur. The cheese was kept in 15 lose polythene packs and sealed printed labelled packs. It was about to be sold at Rs170 per kg in Kapurthala district.

Health teams said while the labels on the packs claimed that the cheese had only 23 per cent fat, cheese with less than 50 per cent fat content is illegal. They said the bills recovered from the vehicles showed that it was underpriced.

Earlier on August 26, a vehicles carrying 1.2 quintal of cheese were caught in Phagwara. Besides a week ago, health teams intercepted a vehicle carrying 1 quintal of cheese. Both these vehicles were coming from Gurdaspur.

As many as 20 samples of cheese have been collected from suspected manufacturers in Gurdaspur and sampling is also being done in Amristar and Batala. Health officials said action against these manufacturers could not be taken till the sample reports arrived.

Balwinderjit, Deputy Director, Dairy Development Board, Kapurthala, said, “At least 40 quintals of low standard cheese is making way to the region daily through vehicles. Manufacturers in Gurdaspur, Batala and Amritsar are sending these through different vehicles. Seeing nakas, they change modus operandi and change routes as well as vehicles. Now, they are sending it through cars. Earlier, they were using SUVs or trucks. Besides, the vehicles now bear Jalandhar number plates.”

Dr Harjot Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner Food, Kapurthala, said, “The driver was quizzed and the labels on the samples clearly state that the cheese has 23 per cent fat, which is illegal. We are also getting samples checked to see whether chemicals are present in it or not. However, we can’t initiate punitive action before the arrival of reports.”