Thane restaurant sold cheese analogue as paneer, Bombay HC backs licence action

The Bombay High Court has refused to entertain a plea challenging the suspension of a Thane restaurant’s food licence after a government laboratory found foreign fat in a paneer sample, with the court directing the establishment to pursue an appeal before the Commissioner of Food Safety.

The case concerns M/s Udupi Swad Restaurant in Thane, against which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had suspended the food licence after its officials found that paneer being sold at the establishment was actually a cheese analogue containing non-dairy fat.

The FDA’s action comes as Maharashtra steps up its crackdown on establishments accused of using artificial or substitute ingredients in place of genuine dairy products without informing customers.LAB REPORT FINDS FOREIGN FAT IN PANEER

Food Safety Officers from the FDA’s Thane division had collected a sample of loose paneer from Udupi Swad Restaurant for testing.

According to the government laboratory report, the sample contained foreign fat instead of dairy-based ingredients and was declared “Unsafe” under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The subsequent investigation found that the restaurant was allegedly purchasing a cheese analogue in the name of paneer and using it in food sold to customers as a paneer-based product without prior disclosure.

The FDA said the practice posed a potential risk to public health.

Following the investigation, the Assistant Commissioner and Designated Officer, Thane, ordered the immediate suspension of the restaurant’s food licence.

The restaurant operator challenged the suspension order before the Bombay High Court through Writ Petition (L) No 29022/2026.

At an earlier hearing on August 21, the court had declined to grant interim relief to the restaurant against the licence suspension.

During the hearing on September 16, the administration placed an affidavit before the court arguing that protecting citizens’ health is a foremost duty of the state under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The FDA also relied on the proviso to Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which, it submitted, empowers the competent authority to suspend a food licence immediately in the public interest.

The High Court accepted the administration’s submissions and dismissed the petition.

The court upheld the FDA’s action as legally valid and directed the restaurant to approach the Commissioner of Food Safety if it wanted to appeal against the licence suspension.FDA SEIZES FOOD STOCK WORTH OVER RS 10 LAKH

The action against Udupi Swad Restaurant comes amid wider FDA raids across Maharashtra.

In raids conducted in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Amravati divisions, officials seized prohibited stock worth Rs 5.97 lakh, including a vehicle. Two FIRs were registered and three people were arrested in connection with the action.

Across the state, the FDA said it seized liquid stock worth Rs 6,55,725, including 878 litres of colostrum, along with 5,132.9 kg of dairy products and sweets.

The seized dairy and sweet products included butter, khoya or mawa, paneer, ghee and shrikhand.

Officials also seized other food items worth approximately Rs 3.68 lakh, weighing a total of 2,127 kg. The stock included gulab jamun special mix, jaggery, barfi, modak pedha, farsan, boondi, mysore pak, manvi halwa, shev and motichoor laddoo.FDA WARNS FOOD BUSINESSES

The FDA has warned food business operators and hotel owners against using artificial or substitute ingredients in place of paneer or other dairy products without informing customers in advance.

The department said legal action can include cancellation of a food licence, closure of an establishment and criminal cases under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The latest action forms part of the FDA’s campaign against practices involving dairy analogues that are allegedly passed off as genuine paneer and other dairy products.

The department has said such practices compromise food safety and can amount to misleading consumers.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 21:01 IST