FSSAI Proposes Ban On Selling Non-Milk Products As Paneer; Draft Rules Seek Clear Labelling

Mumbai: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed prohibiting the manufacture and sale of analogue products as paneer, saying the move is aimed at preventing consumers from being misled about the nature and composition of the product.

The draft Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2026, was notified on September 22 and published in the Gazette on September 23. The proposal seeks to include “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk” in the list of products whose sale would be prohibited under the relevant 2011 regulations.

FSSAI proposes restrictions

Under the proposed amendment, products already licensed or registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category would have to discontinue the use of the term “paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling and marketing. The move is intended to clearly distinguish conventional milk-based paneer from products made using non-milk ingredients to replicate its appearance, texture or other characteristics.

Analogue dairy products may contain ingredients such as vegetable fats, oils or proteins instead of milk-derived constituents. FSSAI's proposal comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of such products and concerns that consumers could purchase them believing they are conventional paneer.

Earlier regulatory action

The latest proposal follows action by FSSAI's Western Region earlier this year. In April, the regulator directed centrally licensed manufacturers and food-service establishments to ensure that cheese analogue products were not sold or represented as paneer. Food establishments were also asked to clearly disclose the use of cheese analogues on menus or display boards wherever applicable.

However, the latest FSSAI notification is only a draft and does not amount to a final nationwide ban. The regulator has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders and members of the public for 60 days from the date the Gazette notification was made available. The representations received will be considered before the proposed amendment is finalised.

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Maharashtra’s stricter measure

Maharashtra has already taken a stricter step. The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through an order issued on July 30, imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, processing, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer across the state.

The Maharashtra action followed testing of paneer and dairy analogue samples between April 2025 and March 2026. Of the 308 samples tested, 109, or 35.4%, failed to meet prescribed standards, prompting regulatory action against the manufacture and sale of such products in the state.

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