Patna: Patna food safety officials have sealed two establishments in the city after an inspection revealed the use of chemical additives in juices and allegedly adulterated paneer at a restaurant, prompting concerns over public health.
The action followed a surprise raid by the food department on Wednesday in the Kankarbagh area, where inspectors visited a juice shop near the Doctors Colony roundabout and a nearby eatery, Krishna Restaurant. Officials said both outlets were found to be operating in violation of food safety standards.
Ajay Kumar, a food inspector who led the inspection, said samples of what appeared to be fake or adulterated paneer were collected from the restaurant for laboratory testing. At the juice shop, inspectors recovered a powder identified by the shopkeeper only as “D”, which officials believe is a chemical substance used to artificially thicken juices and shakes.
According to him, the shopkeeper claimed the powder is widely used by juice vendors and sourced from Delhi, but did not disclose its actual composition or commercial name. During the inspection, the substance reportedly clung to the inspector’s mouth when tasted on camera, raising further concerns about its suitability for consumption.
The chemical has been seized and sent for analysis, along with samples of the paneer. Both Krishna Restaurant and the Krishna Juice Shake shop have been closed pending the outcome of laboratory tests.
Food safety officials said further legal action would be taken once the test results are available, and urged residents to remain cautious when consuming food and beverages from roadside outlets.
