Maha FDA bans analogue cheese, artificial paneer for one year after legislative push

Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) In a major regulatory crackdown on food adulteration, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra State, has imposed an immediate, state-wide ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of analogue or artificial (non-dairy) paneer for a period of one year.

The gazette notification published on Tuesday invokes powers under Section 30(2)(a) read with Sections 18 and 29 of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act), 2006.

The directive, issued under the leadership of FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, signals a major crackdown on adulterated dairy products in restaurants, hotels, and catering services. The decision comes after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vikram Pachpute repeatedly raised the alarming proliferation of synthetic paneer in the State Legislative Assembly.

Responding to the developments, Pachpute welcomed the gazette notification, commending the FDA Commissioner for taking decisive regulatory action to safeguard public health and protect consumers from widespread food fraud. “With the gazette notification now in effect, FDA inspection teams across Maharashtra have been tasked with conducting surprise raids on food businesses, suppliers, and catering outfits. Establishments caught stocking or serving analogue cheese as paneer will face severe penalties, confiscation of goods, and legal prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” he said.

The order strictly bans processing, packing, wholesale, retail, and exposure for sale of any non-dairy paneer variants across all districts of Maharashtra. Hotels, restaurants, caterers, cloud kitchens, and local eateries are explicitly forbidden from using, preparing, serving, or stocking analogue paneer in any dish. Serving analogue or synthetic paneer in place of genuine dairy paneer has been designated as an unfair trade practice under Section 24 of the FSS Act, 2006.

According to the gazette notification, manufacturers of genuine paneer/chhana must strictly adhere to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Loose paneer without batch identification, invoices, or proper packaging will face strict action for hindering source-tracing. Violators will face legal proceedings under Sections 50, 51, 52, 55, and 59 of the FSS Act, including heavy fines, product seizure, and mandatory destruction of non-compliant inventory, it warned.

The directive stems from growing public health concerns and systematic non-compliance across the state. Out of 308 paneer and dairy analogue samples analysed between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, 109 samples (35.4 per cent) failed state standards — 79 were sub-standard, and 30 were declared unsafe. Laboratory testing revealed that natural milk fat was frequently substituted with cheap vegetable oils and non-dairy fats (indicated by non-conforming Butyro-refractometer readings and Iodine Values).

Analogue paneer lacks the primary nutritional benefits, particularly protein, expected by consumers — especially vegetarians who rely on genuine dairy paneer. Over a year of surveillance and awareness drives failed to curb deceptive practices, making an explicit state-wide prohibition necessary, said the Gazette notification.

–IANS

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