India’s food safety regulator has proposed a nationwide restriction on the manufacture and sale of non-dairy analogue products being marketed as paneer. The move is aimed at preventing consumers from being misled about the ingredients and composition of products they purchase.
What Is Analogue Paneer?
Analogue paneer refers to products designed to resemble traditional paneer but made partly or entirely with ingredients that are not derived from milk.
Such products can use vegetable oils, vegetable fats, starches, plant proteins, emulsifiers and other ingredients instead of milk components.
While these products may look and function similarly to paneer, FSSAI wants them to be clearly distinguished from genuine milk-based paneer.
FSSAI Proposes New Rules
FSSAI has proposed amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
The draft specifically seeks to restrict the manufacture and sale of “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk” under the name paneer.
The regulator said the proposed changes are intended to prevent consumers from being misled about the nature and composition of the food product.
‘Paneer’ Name To Be Removed
The proposal could have a direct impact on products already licensed or registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category.
Such products would be required to discontinue the use of the word “Paneer” in their product names, labels and marketing material.
This means manufacturers and food businesses would need to use terminology that accurately describes what the product contains rather than presenting a non-dairy analogue as conventional paneer.
Restaurants And Food Businesses Could Be Affected
The proposed rules could also affect hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food service businesses that use dairy substitutes.
Businesses would need to ensure that consumers are not led to believe that an analogue product is traditional dairy paneer.
The move follows increasing regulatory scrutiny of the use and labelling of dairy substitutes across India’s food industry.
Several States Have Already Taken Action
The proposed nationwide regulation comes after several states introduced their own restrictions on analogue paneer.
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka are among the states that have taken action against the manufacture or sale of such products.
A nationwide framework could bring greater uniformity to enforcement instead of having different restrictions across individual states.
60-Day Window For Suggestions
The latest proposal is still a draft regulation and is not an immediate nationwide ban.
FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders and members of the public. The consultation process will allow the regulator to consider feedback before the proposed amendments are finalised.
If implemented, the rules would significantly tighten how non-dairy alternatives can be manufactured, marketed and sold using the word “paneer”.
Summary
FSSAI has proposed nationwide restrictions on non-dairy analogue products being sold or marketed as paneer. These products can contain vegetable oils, fats, starches and plant proteins instead of milk-derived ingredients. Existing products registered under the analogue category may have to remove the word “Paneer” from their names, labels and marketing. The proposal is currently open for stakeholder feedback.
