3 min readAug 7, 2025 12:44 PM IST
First published on: Aug 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM IST
Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Wednesday advised people of the state to prepare their own paneer (cottage cheese) and desi ghee (clarified butter) at home as the state government noticed “maximum adulteration” in these two products.
Addressing mediapersons in Chandigarh on Wednesday, the minister divulged that out of 531 paneer samples tested by the department of health, 196 failed (more than one third) the quality test, and 59 were unsafe for consumption as starch and harmful chemicals were used in the making of paneer. “These chemicals should not have been used for making paneer. I advise people to make their own paneer at home or buy it from a certified brand like the Punjab government-owned Verka. One should minimise the purchase of paneer from the market. Earlier, the women used to make paneer by boiling curdled milk at home. The same method should be put to use and paneer should be made at home.”
The health minister said the second biggest substandard and spurious item in the market was desi ghee. “Desi ghee is the second most adulterated food product after paneer. We had filled 222 samples of desi ghee from the market, of that 20 samples (9 per cent) were substandard and 28 were unsafe for consumption,” he said.
The health minister said, “There is nothing like A2 ghee. We have seen vendors selling A2 ghee for Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per kg. The truth is, there is no such product as A2 ghee; it’s just like A1 ghee. Do not get misled. Either buy from Milkfed or make it at home. There is no rocket science in this. Earlier, households used to make their own desi ghee. It is better to buy milk with fat, remove the fat and then make paneer and ghee. Both these products are the most adulterated.”
Dr Balbir, however, said the quality of milk improved in the recent past, “with 484 samples failing test out of 1,400 in 2022-23 to 88 failing tests out of 654 in 2023-24 and 82 failing tests out of 310 in 2024-25”.
He said adulteration was also found in ‘masalas’ (spices) like ‘haldi’ (turmeric) and ‘deghi mirch’.
“Fruits and vegetables did not have much of a problem. Calcium Carbide is an issue which we keep checking. Now, we have ripening chambers as gas is being used, which is permitted. We can consume more fruits. Vegetables and salads are also safer,” he said.
The minister said the government had tightened the noose around those adulterating the food products. “We have got 145 persons convicted with six months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 4.75 lakh during the last year.”
The health minister asked the people of the state to get their food products tested by food safety vans in the districts. “They charge only Rs 50 for each sample. It is better to be aware and get the food products tested. We are telling people about safe food. They should opt for foods with low glycaemic index (GI), freshly cooked food and consume 50 per cent fruits and vegetables. This way we can ward off many diseases,” he added.
Additionally, over 13,000 samples have been screened for adulteration on food safety on wheels so far, he said, adding that the major categories include paneer, ghee, milk, spices, fruits and vegetables and sweets.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh (Photo/X) 
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