Those who stick to vegetarian food during the festive season should be careful about the paneer they buy.

A preliminary report prepared by the food safety wing of the health department has revealed that the samples of paneer (cottage cheese) collected from a dozen shops in the city have been found to be adulterated.

The officials of the food safety wing also suspect that ghee (clarified butter) and mustard oil being sold at shops in Patna could also be adulterated. Sources said food adulteration was common in the festive season, especially Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath, as the demand for these goods rises.

“We carried out raids at 60 eateries before Dussehra during which we collected samples of cottage cheese, mustard oil and ghee. The initial investigation suggests that 95 per cent cottage cheese is adulterated. Starch was found in the samples we collected. What is shocking that some of the cottage cheese samples were taken from some branded eateries. The final report is yet to come,” said Ashish Kumar, designated officer, food safety wing, health department.

Starch is added to cottage cheese to increase its quantity. He said eating starch would have no harmful effect on the body. However, eating adulterated mustard oil or ghee might affect one’s health. “Last year we had found adulteration in both mustard oil and ghee. In mustard oil, we had found palm oil and argemone oil. Consumption of argemone oil can cause dropsy.”

Dropsy is the disease that leads to swelling of the whole body especially legs and gastrointestinal system. Its symptoms are vomiting, diarrhoea and loss of appetite.

“In ghee, we had found saturated fat. Consuming it can lead to an upset stomach,” added Ashish.

He said officials of his department had also seized adulterated turmeric powder last year. “We found the presence of lead chromate in the turmeric powder samples. Lead chromate can cause cancer. It is highly toxic.”

Sources in the food safety wing said the department can only check for starch adulteration at present. As far as other types of food adulteration is concerned it still depends on Mineral Area Development Authority laboratory in Dhanbad. Its laboratory at Agamkuan is defunct.

Doctors, too, are warning residents against consuming adulterated food. V.P. Sinha, a physician at Patna Medical College and Hospital said: “Adulterated food can cause kidney and brain problems. Eating hydrocarbon in mustard oil can cause cancer of the gall bladder.”