Maharashtra bans analogue paneer: How to tell the real from the fake

Analogue paneer is a non-dairy option for traditional paneer made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat.

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced a ban on the manufacture and sale of artificial or analogue paneer – a non-dairy product made from vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and additives – citing health concerns.

Analogue paneer is significantly cheaper to produce than conventional paneer and contains lower protein levels. (Representational Image)

It prohibited the manufacturing, processing, preparation, packing, storage, distribution (including transportation), wholesale sale, retail sale, offering or exposing for sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer throughout Maharashtra for a period of one year. Offenders could face life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh. Chhattisgarh had earlier imposed a similar ban.

What is analogue paneer?

Analogue paneer is a non-dairy option for traditional paneer made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat. It is significantly cheaper to produce analogue paneer than conventional paneer, and contains lower protein levels.

According to health experts, analogue paneer may contain hydrogenated vegetable fats, trans fats or high levels of saturated fats, all of which are associated with increased risks of heart disease, high cholesterol and chronic inflammation.

“Public health is a serious issue which must not be compromised. Therefore, we welcome the government’s decision. The ban on analogue paneer will bring relief to genuine businesses such as ours, as we will no longer have to worry about being wrongly suspected or facing action because of unscrupulous operators,” he said.

How can one tell them apart?

Nidhi Shetty, nutritionist and fitness instructor, shared a quick tip to be able to differentiate between authentic paneer and analogue paneer.

“By performing the iodine/betadine test. Boil a few pieces of paneer in water, let it cool and then add a few drops of iodine or betadine to it. If it turns blue or black, then it's an analogue paneer,” she said.

‘Misleading consumers’

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has warned that serving analogue paneer as real paneer could amount to misleading consumers and constitute an unfair trade practice under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, inviting strict penal action.

Depending on the extent of the harm caused, the punishment would range from imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh to life imprisonment, and a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh in cases where consumption of the unsafe food results in death.

Why is the ban being introduced?

The ban comes after FDA, in its year-long enforcement and surveillance drive, found that despite regular inspections, sampling and awareness campaigns, there had been no appreciable improvement in curbing the sale of analogue paneer.

“The proportion of non-conforming samples remained persistently high at 35.4 per cent of the samples analysed, demonstrating that routine enforcement and the existing labelling framework have proved insufficient to arrest the practice and protect public health,” the order stated.

Hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food establishments were also routinely using analogue paneer instead of genuine paneer without informing customers through menus, invoices or display boards, an investigation found.

It was also revealed that analogue paneer was frequently transported and sold without original packaging, mandatory labels, invoices, batch identification or traceability documents, making it difficult to identify its source and increasing risks to public health.

‘Landmark step’: BJP MLA

BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute, the first legislator to demand a ban on analogue paneer, described the government’s move as a landmark step. “It is a pioneering step in safeguarding consumer health. I believe other states will also follow suit,” said Pachpute, who represents Shrigonda assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district.

He also urged the government to extend its scrutiny to analogue cheese. “Many multinational companies are using analogue cheese, marketing or selling it as real cheese. This practice needs strict scrutiny, and appropriate action should be taken wherever consumers are being misled,” he said.