The food regulator FSSAI has proposed banning the manufacture and sale of non-dairy products marketed as paneer. This step is part of strengthening measures to combat food adulteration and misleading claims.
Analog paneer is not a dairy product and is made from components not derived from milk. FSSAI released a draft Amendment to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (Ban and Restrictions on Sale) for 2026. Interested parties have 60 days to submit objections or suggestions regarding these draft rules, which aim to amend the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (Ban and Restrictions on Sale) of 2011.
The FSSAI notification stated that the proposed amendment is intended to restrict the production and sale of analog products in the form of paneer to prevent misleading consumers about the nature and composition of this product.
Furthermore, a requirement was added stipulating that products already licensed or registered under the category 'Dairy Context Analog' must cease using the term 'paneer' in their nomenclature, labeling, or marketing.
The Ministry of Health stated that FSSAI has proposed banning the use of the term 'paneer' for products not derived from milk. The Ministry noted that the goal of the proposed amendment is to ensure that the name and presentation of food products accurately reflect their composition and nature, allowing consumers to make informed decisions.
The main Food Safety and Standards Regulations (Ban and Restrictions on Sale) were approved in 2011 and have been periodically amended. The proposed amendment introduces a new clause into the existing rules specifically concerning 'paneer made from components not derived from milk.'
In a dairy context, an analog is defined as a product that is externally, taste-wise, or functionally similar to milk or a dairy product, but with some or all of the original milk components replaced by non-dairy ingredients.
Over the past six months, FSSAI has intensified enforcement actions against Food Business Operators (FBOs) and e-commerce platforms due to alleged misleading claims/labeling and hygiene issues, among other violations.
On Wednesday, the regulator began imposing penalties on e-commerce platforms Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, Flipkart India, and Zepto for various non-compliances, including misleading claims and the sale of prohibited products. Measures were also taken against energy drink manufacturers and alcoholic beverage companies.
