Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Thursday launched enforcement against banned analogue dairy products, seizing and destroying around 235 kg of analogue cheese during raids across the city, a day after the state govt prohibited the manufacture, sale and storage of analogue paneer, cheese and butter.Three teams of food safety officers inspected 14 establishments involved in the production, storage and sale of dairy products. Officials said the seized analogue cheese fell under the category of products banned with effect from Wednesday.The civic body said it will initially focus on creating awareness before initiating penal action. “We did not find analogue paneer at the shops we inspected. If some small establishments are yet to comply with the guidelines, they will be given a brief window. Thereafter, health teams will begin taking punitive action,” a food department official said.Analogue paneer has been widely used by some eateries because it is significantly cheaper than milk-based paneer, selling for around ₹250 per kg—nearly half the price of conventional paneer. Analogue cheese and butter have also been used by some food businesses to reduce input costs.During the inspections, officials learnt that most of the analogue dairy products were manufactured outside Surat and supplied to local retailers. They said traders informed inspection teams that they had stopped selling the products following the ban, while small-scale manufacturers operating from their premises had also discontinued production.The SMC said inspections will continue over the coming days at retail outlets, storage facilities and small manufacturing units to ensure the banned products do not re-enter the market.
