Bhubaneswar: The Pahala rasagola market in Odisha is facing a severe slowdown following the Food Safety Department’s crackdown on adulterated chhena (Indian cottage cheese), a key ingredient used to make the popular sweet.

The supply of chhena to Pahala has dropped sharply over the past three days, leaving sweet shops struggling to maintain production. At the same time, rising sugar prices have added to the problems faced by traders.

According to Pahala sweet shop owners, the market, which has around 100 shops, earlier received nearly 40 quintals of chhena every day. However, the supply has now fallen to around 10 quintals, making it difficult for the shops to meet demand.

A major portion of the chhena supplied to Pahala comes from the Niali and Adaspur areas. Milk producers and dairy traders from these areas regularly supply chhena to the market.

Traders said they generally check whether the chhena is fresh or stale when buying it. However, they do not have the equipment or sufficient time to test whether the product has been adulterated. As a result, they largely depend on the suppliers' assurance.

The situation has changed after the Food Safety Department intensified inspections of paneer and chhena in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in recent days. Adulterated products have reportedly been seized and destroyed during the inspections.

With the supply of chhena falling sharply, sweet makers at Pahala have been left without enough raw material to work with. Traders said they have been forced to increase sweet prices because of the shortage and higher sugar costs, which has further affected sales.

Pahala Sweet Traders' Association president Akshaya Kumar Lenka said traders had hoped for strong sales ahead of Rakhi Purnima. However, the shortage of chhena and the resulting decline in production have dashed those expectations.