The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration seized approximately 10 tonnes of suspected fake paneer and around 5,000 kg of suspected adulterated khoya in a raid in Pune's Shukrawar Peth area.
This came even as the state's crackdown on food adulteration under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe widened.
Officials said the seized consignment is suspected to have originated from Karnataka and was being distributed on a large scale across Maharashtra by the accused, described as a major supplier operating in the state, NDTV reported.
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FDA teams were seen loading red crates packed with the suspected fake dairy products onto trucks at the site, with sacks of what was labelled "medium fat paneer" also recovered from the premises.
Inspections in the area were still ongoing at the time of the raid, with officials collecting samples of the seized paneer and khoya for laboratory testing.
The FDA said further action, including any criminal proceedings against the supplier, would depend on the outcome of these test reports confirming adulteration.
The Pune raid is the latest in a series of enforcement actions carried out under Mundhe's leadership, who has overseen an aggressive statewide crackdown on spurious and adulterated food products in Maharashtra in recent months.
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Fake paneer and khoya rackets have emerged as a recurring concern for food safety authorities, particularly during periods of high demand, with cheap substitutes often made using ingredients such as skimmed milk powder, detergent, or synthetic additives that mimic the texture of genuine dairy products but pose health risks to consumers.
The scale of Friday's seizure, spanning both paneer and khoya in the same operation, points to an organised supply chain rather than a small-scale local unit, officials indicated, with the interstate origin suggesting adulterated dairy products may be crossing state lines before reaching retail markets in Maharashtra.
Food safety officials have repeatedly flagged the risks posed by such counterfeit dairy products, especially with festive-season demand often driving a spike in the circulation of adulterated sweets and dairy goods.
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