Bhubaneswar: Raids on hotels, restaurants, sweet shops and other establishments over adulterated paneer in Aug have boosted the sale of Omfed paneer. The state-run dairy cooperative sold 2.76 lakh kg of paneer in Aug, up from 2.29 lakh kg in July and 2.10 lakh kg in June. Average daily sales crossed 9.2 tonnes in Aug compared to 7 tonnes in June.The surge in demand followed raids by food safety authorities across the state in Aug. The inspections led to the seizure of suspected adulterated and synthetic paneer from several outlets, raising concerns among consumers about the quality of paneer being sold in the open market.“The heightened awareness appears to have prompted many consumers to shift to Omfed, the state-run dairy cooperative, which markets paneer under stringent quality-control standards,” said Vijay Amruta Kulange, managing director of Omfed.The Aug figures show an increase of nearly 20% over July and about 31% over June, indicating a strong consumer preference for trusted and certified dairy products following the enforcement drive, Kulange said.Omfed officials attributed the rise in sales to growing public confidence in the cooperative’s products. They said awareness about food safety and concerns over adulteration have encouraged consumers, caterers and retailers to source paneer from reliable suppliers.“Keeping the rising demand for paneer in mind, we have increased production to meet the demand. We have been particular about the quality of milk products, including paneer,” Kulange said.Food safety officials had intensified inspections across Odisha after reports of fake and adulterated paneer being supplied to eateries and sweet shops. Samples collected during the raids were sent for laboratory testing, while action was initiated against violators under the Food Safety and Standards Act.Industry observers said the crackdown has not only boosted sales of branded paneer but also underscored the need for stricter monitoring of dairy products in the market. Consumers, especially in urban areas, are increasingly opting for products with assured quality and traceability.“As my children like paneer, I have shifted from normal non-packaged paneer to packaged and quality paneer from Omfed. As it is run by a govt-supported cooperative, I purchase paneer from this milk federation,” said Anirudh Kund, a resident of Kalarahanga.