The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced a ban on the manufacturing and sale of non-dairy products marketed as paneer. This decision aims to ensure that consumers receive authentic dairy products, safeguarding food quality and standards across the country.
Analogue dairy products are non-dairy alternatives in which some or all milk constituents are replaced with ingredients not derived from milk. Analogue paneer, for instance, can be made using vegetable oils, starches, plant proteins, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat. The FSSAI has proposed to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, according to a notification released on Thursday. The regulator said this was being done as part of the powers conferred to it under sub- section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The food regulator, in a post on its official social media handle, said it had proposed a ban on “the sale of analogue paneer made from constituents not derived from milk. It further said the move was undertaken to safeguard consumer interests and ban the practice of marketing analogue products as paneer. “Objections or suggestions, if any, may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi – 110002 or sent on email at [email protected],” the FSSAI stated.
