The Andhra Pradesh government has imposed a one-year statewide ban on the manufacture, processing, storage, sale and commercial use of non-standardised dairy analogues, including artificial or analogue paneer.
The order, issued through an extraordinary gazette notification by Food Safety Commissioner G Veerapandian under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, aims to protect consumers from misleading food products and curb unfair trade practices.
The prohibition applies across the State and will remain in force for one year unless modified or superseded earlier by the competent authorities.
What the ban covers
The restriction targets products in which milk, milk fat or milk solids are wholly or partly replaced with non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable fats, palm oil and non-dairy powders, while being presented as genuine paneer.
The order prohibits the manufacture, processing, packing, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of artificial paneer and other non-standardised dairy analogues that imitate genuine dairy products.
Paneer identity defined by FSSAI standards
Food safety authorities cited Regulation 2.1.16 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, which defines paneer as a product made exclusively from milk and milk solids using permitted acidulants.
Products made with cheaper vegetable oils or non-dairy powders cannot be represented as authentic paneer simply because they resemble it in appearance, colour, texture or culinary use.
Restrictions on misleading products and food service
The prohibition also covers other non-standardised dairy analogues that create a false impression of being genuine dairy through packaging, labelling, advertising or presentation.
Hotels, restaurants, cloud kitchens, catering businesses and institutions are prohibited from supplying or serving such substitutes in ways that mislead customers into believing they are consuming authentic dairy products.
The notification excludes specified standardised products, including frozen desserts, processed cheese and mixed fat spreads, from the category covered by this prohibition.
Food businesses must comply
All Food Business Operators in Andhra Pradesh have been directed to ensure that products sold or served as paneer comply with applicable Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requirements and are not misrepresented.
Food Safety Director Arun Babu urged consumers to remain alert and examine paneer for unusual differences in texture, colour, aroma and behaviour when heated. He also advised caution when products are offered at unusually low prices.
Consumer protection and enforcement
The government said non-standardised paneer analogues can be cheaper to produce, have a longer shelf life and closely resemble genuine dairy products. Their use in eateries and other food-service establishments can therefore mislead consumers.
The one-year restriction is intended to strengthen food safety oversight and prevent deceptive substitution. Food businesses must ensure that paneer sold or served to customers meets the prescribed standards throughout the period of the ban.
Source : Read Full Story here Oct 31st 2026 Compiled by Editing team Dairynews7x7
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