The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed tighter restrictions on analogue paneer, seeking to prevent products made partly or wholly from non-milk ingredients from being represented, labelled or marketed as conventional paneer.
The proposal is part of FSSAI's draft amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. The draft proposes adding “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk” to the list of substances whose manufacture and sale would be prohibited as paneer.
Under FSSAI's standards, paneer is a milk product made from milk, with or without added milk solids, and precipitated using permitted acidulants and heat. The prescribed standards also specify requirements relating to moisture and milk fat.
Analogue paneer, by contrast, is formulated to resemble conventional paneer in appearance, texture and functionality, but some or all of its milk constituents are replaced with ingredients that are not derived from milk. Depending on the formulation, such products can contain vegetable fats or oils, starches, plant proteins, milk solids, emulsifiers and stabilisers.
FSSAI recognises “Analogue in Dairy Context” as a category. Therefore, being an analogue does not by itself mean that a product is illegally adulterated or unsafe. The regulatory concern arises when such a product is presented to consumers as conventional paneer or another dairy product.
The latest draft proposes that products already licensed or registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category would have to discontinue the use of the word “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling and marketing.
The move follows increasing regulatory attention to dairy analogues and their representation in the food-service sector. FSSAI has previously stated that non-dairy products should not be misrepresented as milk or milk-based products, while its guidance has required appropriate identification of products for which no specific identity standard exists.
The issue is particularly relevant to restaurants and food-service businesses, where consumers may order a dish described as paneer without seeing the original product packaging or ingredient declaration. FSSAI's West Region issued a public notice in April 2026 stating that selling a cheese analogue as paneer was a violation and directing manufacturers and food-service establishments to ensure accurate product naming.
State-level enforcement has also increased. According to the explainer, Maharashtra tested 308 paneer and dairy-analogue samples between April 2025 and March 2026. Of these, 109 did not conform to prescribed standards, including 30 samples declared unsafe. Several States have also introduced restrictions or taken enforcement action concerning analogue paneer and its representation as paneer.
The proposed amendment goes beyond simply requiring disclosure that a product is an analogue. It seeks to prevent products made from constituents not derived from milk from using the term “paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing.
The nutritional profile of an analogue can also differ from dairy paneer depending on its formulation. Replacing milk fat or milk protein with vegetable fats, oils or plant proteins means consumers should not automatically assume that an analogue has the same nutritional composition as conventional milk-based paneer.
The distinction is important because the term “fake paneer” can be misleading. A properly identified and compliant dairy analogue is different from a non-dairy product that is falsely represented to consumers as conventional paneer.
FSSAI's latest proposal is currently a draft, rather than an already effective nationwide ban. The regulator has invited objections and suggestions, which will be considered after the stipulated 60-day period.
For dairy manufacturers, restaurants and food-service operators, the proposed changes could therefore have implications for product formulation, labelling, menu descriptions and marketing practices if the draft provisions are finalised.
Source: Dairynews7x7 26 Sep, 2026 Read full story here
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