Fake paneer flooding Delhi-NCR markets: Police nab dairy scam mastermind; Know how this cottage cheese could wreck your health

Police in Noida have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly flooding Delhi-NCR markets with 'fake paneer'. The suspect, identified as Afsar Khan, was picked up from Sector 63 on Monday after weeks of evading arrest.

According to investigators, Khan was running a plant in Sahajpura village, Aligarh, where blocks of synthetic paneer were churned out using a questionable mix of starch powders, palmolein oil, industrial whiteners, and chemical curdling agents, none of which belong anywhere near your plate.

This artificial paneer was sold to shopkeepers at cut prices, eventually finding its way to unsuspecting customers across Delhi and NCR.

A web of deceit

Police said the operation wasn’t a small-time scam, it was part of an interstate racket that had been active for nearly six months. In June, Noida police had already seized more than 1,400 kg of adulterated paneer from a vehicle linked to the same network.

Several accomplices, including Gulfam (23), Naved (20), and Iqbal (30), had been arrested earlier for working under the instructions of one 'Guddu' (30).

Khan, now facing charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for food adulteration, sale of harmful food, and cheating, was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest.

The real cost? Your health

Health experts warn that consuming such adulterated dairy can have serious and long-term consequences. Possible side effects include:

• Food poisoning – leading to vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps
• Liver and kidney damage – from repeated exposure to harmful chemicals
• Weakened immunity – due to lack of essential nutrients found in real milk paneer
• Allergic reactions and skin problems – triggered by industrial whiteners and synthetic agents
• Increased risk of cancer – from certain chemical adulterants used in curdling

‘Looks like paneer, but isn’t’

Station House Officer Avdhesh Pratap Singh put it bluntly: “This is not just about cheating customers financially, it’s about endangering public health on a massive scale.”

The crackdown continues, but authorities warn that spotting fake paneer isn’t always easy, it may look and feel similar to the real thing, but its long-term impact could be far more dangerous than you think.