The Gujarat government has announced a statewide ban on the production, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of non-standardised analogue paneer,
analogue cheese and analogue butter, citing public health concerns and consumer protection. Health Minister Praful Pansheriya announced this decision and said the move follows months of inspections by the Food and Drugs Department and laboratory findings indicating the presence of substandard non-dairy products in the market. Addressing the media, Pansheriya said the Food and Drugs Department had been conducting continuous inspections across Gujarat for the past four months. During the drive, authorities found that analogue paneer and similar products, made using vegetable oils and other non-dairy ingredients instead of milk, were being sold in a manner that could mislead consumers. "These products are not nutritious like genuine paneer. Following the findings of our inspections and in the interest of public health, the Gujarat government has decided to prohibit the production, sale and transportation of analogue paneer across the state from today," the minister said. The government stated that consumers purchase paneer with the expectation that it is made from pure milk. However, products resembling paneer but manufactured using vegetable fats and other non-dairy ingredients can mislead buyers, harm genuine dairy producers and raise serious food safety concerns. According to the government, the ban has been imposed under the powers granted by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 after statewide sampling and laboratory testing detected cases of non-standardised analogue dairy products. Officials warned that any individual or food business operator found manufacturing, storing, transporting, distributing or selling the banned products will face strict legal action under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The government has appealed to manufacturers, traders, hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food business operators to sell and use only standard-compliant, genuine dairy products, reiterating that ensuring safe, quality and authentic food for consumers remains a top priority.
