The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a ban on the sale of analogue paneer, seeking to prevent products made from non-milk
ingredients from being marketed or sold as paneer. The proposal is aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring that products labelled and sold as paneer meet the prescribed standards for the dairy product. The move comes amid concerns over the sale of imitation or analogue products that may resemble paneer but are not made from constituents derived from milk. “The amendment is proposed in the following regulation to restrict manufacturing and sale of analogue product as paneer so as to prevent misleading of consumer’s regarding the nature and composition of the product. Products already licensed or registered under ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category shall discontinue the use of the term “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing,” the notification said. Under the new proposal, businesses using paneer analogue or cheese analogue instead of traditional dairy-based products must clearly disclose the information to consumers in line with the Food Safety and Standards (labelling and display) Regulations. FSSAI said the disclosure must be displayed “prominently” at consumer touchpoints, including menu cards and packaging labels. The FSSAI also said products made using paneer or cheese analogues must not be presented in a manner that suggests they are traditional dairy-based products. This is an issue that Times Now Digital's "E-Comms Hiding Health Info" campaign has been highlighting and reporting. Whether it is consumer complaints, what health experts and legal experts believe or the measures the FSSAI has taken so far. The campaign has highlighted how India's quick commerce and e-commerce boom cannot undermine consumers' right to information and how consumer awareness and transparency is critical going forward.
