Health, labelling concerns: Why FSSAI wants to ban analogue paneer

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a nationwide restriction on the sale and marketing of non-dairy analogue products as “paneer”, in a move aimed at preventing consumer deception and ensuring that food labels accurately reflect what is being sold.

The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2026, seek to prohibit the manufacture and sale of paneer made from constituents not derived from milk under the name “paneer”.

The draft amendment proposes that products already licensed or registered under the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category would have to discontinue the use of “paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling and marketing.

The proposal comes amid growing scrutiny of dairy substitutes and food adulteration, including recent enforcement actions in Maharashtra and Gujarat over products being sold as paneer despite concerns about their composition.

Analogue paneer is designed to resemble conventional paneer in taste, texture and appearance, but may use vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other non-dairy ingredients in place of milk fat and protein.

It is generally cheaper to produce, making it attractive to food businesses, particularly when used in bulk.

There have been concerns that consumers are served or sold these products as dairy paneer without clear disclosure. This deprives buyers of the ability to make informed choices based on ingredients, nutritional value, dietary needs or price.

Conventional paneer provides milk-derived protein, fat and other nutrients. Depending on its formulation, an analogue product may have a different nutritional profile, including less milk protein and potentially more vegetable fat or starch.

Its health implications therefore depend on the ingredients and overall composition and the term “analogue” alone does not itself establish that a product is toxic or unsafe. But the immediate regulatory concern has also been whether it meets applicable food standards and is honestly labelled.STATES LEAD CRACKDOWN

Maharashtra moved against analogue paneer in July this year, imposing a one-year ban on its manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale. The state also warned of penalties, including imprisonment and fines.

Enforcement has included action against food businesses found using analog cheese as paneer. Gujarat followed in August with a statewide ban covering the production, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of analogue paneer, cheese and butter. The decision came after food safety inspections and laboratory tests found products being sold as dairy items despite failing prescribed standards.

The FSSAI's draft amendment now seeks to bring a uniform national approach to the issue, rather than leave enforcement to state-level orders.

As the proposal is still at the draft stage, the regulator has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders and the public.- Ends