Madhya Pradesh bans analog paneer production, sale and use over health concerns

Madhya Pradesh has banned the production, sale and use of analog paneer, citing health concerns, with officials ordered to seize the product.

Published on: Aug 12, 2026, 16:01:33 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday banned the production, sale and use of analog paneer, citing health concerns and seeking to promote natural dairy products, officials said.

Madhya Pradesh became the fourth state to ban analog paneer as the government ordered inspections of factories and immediate seizure of the product. (for representational purpose only)

Chief minister Mohan Yadav announced the decision during a meeting with officials of the food and civil supplies department.

Madhya Pradesh became the fourth state after Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh to ban analog paneer. The product is made as a cheaper substitute for natural-milk paneer, using vegetable fats and starch either in place of milk or mixed with it. Its production and consumption have increased because of its lower price.

“We are banning analog paneer in Madhya Pradesh, just as other states have done. We will boost natural milk production and produce paneer naturally,” Yadav said.

According to a Food Safety Department official, around 9,000 to 12,000 quintals of analog paneer are consumed every month in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in restaurants.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also expressed concern over the sale of analog paneer. Commission member Priyank Kanoongo wrote to all state governments last month, urging them to ban the product and describing its use as hazardous.

Following the chief minister’s directive, the Food Safety Department instructed district officials to test paneer being produced at different factories across Madhya Pradesh and immediately seize analog paneer.

On Wednesday, a team in Indore raided a dairy factory and seized 450 kg of paneer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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