Recently, when YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva shared a video on social media claiming the use of fake paneer at Gauri Khan's Torii restaurant in Mumbai, it raised a lot of eyebrows about the safety and hygiene level of food at high-end restaurants. The restaurant responded and claimed that the allegations were false. Later, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna also came in support of the restaurant. And now, YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, who is also the co-founder of a dairy company, has said in a new video that the iodine test is faulty.
Also Read: Influencer finds adulterated paneer in Gauri Khan’s restaurant: This is what the restaurant has to say
He said that most fake paneer can pass the test because it contains no starch. The test only proves the indication of starch and doesn’t prove the purity of paneer, he said. “99% of fake paneer can pass the iodine test. A recent report cited safety officials as saying that the number one most adulterated product in the market is paneer. You must’ve noticed that every influencer nowadays is carrying iodine with them wherever they go. But the truth is that you can’t test the purity of paneer with iodine. I’ve worked in this industry; that’s not how things are done,” he said.
Gaurav added, “You take milk, you separate the fat from the milk. You make cream and ghee from that fat. What you’re left with is worthless milk with no fat. So then, they are forced to reintroduce fat into the milk, either by adding vegetable oil or palm oil. That milk is sold in the market, and that’s the milk with which paneer is made. There is no starch in this milk because all the fat in it has come from vegetable oil or palm oil. You can put all the iodine in the world on it, but you won’t be able to catch it. It won’t blacken, for the simple reason that it has no starch. Now you decide for yourself what kind of paneer you’re eating and what kind of paneer is being sold in the market.”
Earlier, chef Vikas Khanna supported the restaurant and wrote on Instagram, “I’ve been cooking & working with the science of food for the past several decades. I’ve never seen such terrible misinformation, like a YouTuber who claims to be a food scientist. IODINE changes color with reaction in the presence of ingredients: potatoes, rice, bread, cornflour, flour, and unripe bananas. The use of these ingredients (and thus the reaction) could also happen in cross-contamination. It’s scary that unqualified people are taken seriously.”
Also Read: Shocking! Only 4 out of 163 paneer samples collected in Karnataka safe for consumption
Sarthak Sachdeva’s original video caught the attention of Gauri Khan’s restaurant, who responded, “The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. As the dish contains soy-based ingredients, this reaction is expected. We stand by the purity of our paneer and the integrity of our ingredients at Torii.” Replying to Torii’s comment, the influencer wrote, “So am I banned now? BTW your food is amazing.”
As soon as the video went viral, the restaurant also shared an official statement, which read, “We are utterly surprised at the news of ‘fake paneer’ being served at Torii. The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. For all dishes that contain soy-based ingredients (a staple in Asian food) this reaction is expected. From sourcing our produce to the food being served on the plate to our patrons, there are quality checks at every step of the way. Our commitment to excellence in the food we serve remains unwavered.”
Thumb and Embed Images Courtesy: istock and Instagram
Also Read: Influencer finds adulterated paneer in Gauri Khan’s restaurant: This is what the restaurant has to say
He said that most fake paneer can pass the test because it contains no starch. The test only proves the indication of starch and doesn’t prove the purity of paneer, he said. “99% of fake paneer can pass the iodine test. A recent report cited safety officials as saying that the number one most adulterated product in the market is paneer. You must’ve noticed that every influencer nowadays is carrying iodine with them wherever they go. But the truth is that you can’t test the purity of paneer with iodine. I’ve worked in this industry; that’s not how things are done,” he said.
Gaurav added, “You take milk, you separate the fat from the milk. You make cream and ghee from that fat. What you’re left with is worthless milk with no fat. So then, they are forced to reintroduce fat into the milk, either by adding vegetable oil or palm oil. That milk is sold in the market, and that’s the milk with which paneer is made. There is no starch in this milk because all the fat in it has come from vegetable oil or palm oil. You can put all the iodine in the world on it, but you won’t be able to catch it. It won’t blacken, for the simple reason that it has no starch. Now you decide for yourself what kind of paneer you’re eating and what kind of paneer is being sold in the market.”
Earlier, chef Vikas Khanna supported the restaurant and wrote on Instagram, “I’ve been cooking & working with the science of food for the past several decades. I’ve never seen such terrible misinformation, like a YouTuber who claims to be a food scientist. IODINE changes color with reaction in the presence of ingredients: potatoes, rice, bread, cornflour, flour, and unripe bananas. The use of these ingredients (and thus the reaction) could also happen in cross-contamination. It’s scary that unqualified people are taken seriously.”
Also Read: Shocking! Only 4 out of 163 paneer samples collected in Karnataka safe for consumption
Sarthak Sachdeva’s original video caught the attention of Gauri Khan’s restaurant, who responded, “The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. As the dish contains soy-based ingredients, this reaction is expected. We stand by the purity of our paneer and the integrity of our ingredients at Torii.” Replying to Torii’s comment, the influencer wrote, “So am I banned now? BTW your food is amazing.”
As soon as the video went viral, the restaurant also shared an official statement, which read, “We are utterly surprised at the news of ‘fake paneer’ being served at Torii. The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. For all dishes that contain soy-based ingredients (a staple in Asian food) this reaction is expected. From sourcing our produce to the food being served on the plate to our patrons, there are quality checks at every step of the way. Our commitment to excellence in the food we serve remains unwavered.”
Thumb and Embed Images Courtesy: istock and Instagram
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