Analogue paneer should not be labelled 'paneer', says FSSAI

This regulatory change follows growing concerns about misleading food practices, with states already implementing restrictions.

Analogue paneer products, which look and feel like the real thing but is made from non-dairy alternatives, should no longer carry the word paneer in their labels , the country’s apex food safety regulator has proposed.

Unlike traditional paneer, analogue paneer is made from vegetable oils, starches, plant proteins, emulsifiers, and food additives rather than milk (shutterstock for representational purpose only)

In a draft notification on Tuesday, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it is proposing to amend regulations to restrict the manufacture and sale of analogue products as paneer to prevent consumers from being misled.

“Products already licensed or registered under ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category shall discontinue the use of the term “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing,” the FSSAI said.

Analogue paneer is made by replacing milk fats and proteins with vegetable oils and starches.

FSSAI defines an analogue product as one “in which constituents not derived from milk take the place, in part or in whole, of any milk constituent(s) and the final product resembles, organoleptically and/or functionally, milk or milk product.”

Such products have products have come under increasing scrutiny in recent times.

In April, FSSAI clarified that while analogue products can be sold when accurately labelled, selling, serving or listing dishes made with analogue products as “paneer” violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Six states--Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand-- have announced curbs on the sale of such products.

Last month, food delivery app Zomato removed dishes that restaurant partners have declared as containing analogue dairy from its menus.

“The consumer should be well aware what they are consuming— the food businesses should clearly mention if they are using analogue paneer,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

In Tuesday’s notification, FSSAI gave a sixty-day window for suggestions and objections to the proposed regulatory change.