Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Moves to Ban Sale of Non-Dairy Analogue Products Marketed as Paneer

Key facts

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of non-dairy analogue products marketed as paneer.
• FSSAI has proposed amending the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, under sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Products already licensed under the 'Analogue in Dairy Context' category must discontinue using the term 'Paneer' in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing.
• FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions for 60 days from the date the Official Gazette copies are made available to the public.
• Analogue dairy products are non-dairy alternatives in which some or all milk constituents are replaced with ingredients not derived from milk, such as vegetable oils, starches, plant proteins and emulsifiers.
• States including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have already banned analogue paneer, and Zomato announced a zero-tolerance policy removing dishes containing analogue dairy products.