Overview
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India notified a draft amendment in the Gazette on Sept 22–23 that would stop products made without milk‑derived constituents from being manufactured, sold or marketed as “paneer.”
- If finalised, the rule would add a clause defining “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk” and would require products already licensed as dairy analogues to drop the word “paneer” from names, labels and marketing.
- The draft mandates clear, prominent disclosure at consumer touchpoints such as menu cards and packaging so buyers can know when a product is a non‑milk analogue rather than traditional milk‑based paneer.
- The move follows state testing and enforcement, notably Maharashtra tests that found 109 of 308 paneer samples failed standards, and several states have already imposed bans or restrictions on analogue paneer.
- The proposal is open for 60 days of stakeholder and public comment, could require central government concurrence before final notification, and would affect restaurants, packaged‑food makers and e‑commerce platforms that list or sell analogue products.