SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government has prohibited the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of non-dairy “analogue paneer” when it is represented as genuine dairy paneer, citing concerns over food safety, misbranding and traceability.
The order was issued by Commissioner of Food Safety Ashish Singhmar under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It came into effect immediately and will remain in force for one year.
Action follows surveillance and laboratory testing
The decision follows market surveillance and laboratory testing conducted by the State Food Safety Department, which reportedly detected instances of adulteration, misbranding and inadequate traceability.
According to the order, some suppliers were substituting milk fat with vegetable oils and other non-dairy fats in paneer-like products and selling them under the name “paneer”.
In some cases, authorities also found products being supplied without adequate labelling, purchase invoices and traceability records, making it difficult to establish the source and movement of the products through the supply chain.
Restaurants and caterers also covered
The restrictions extend beyond manufacturers and distributors to food-service establishments.
Restaurants, hotels, cloud kitchens, hostels, dhabas and caterers have been prohibited from using synthetic or analogue paneer in foods advertised or listed simply as “paneer”.
If a food business uses a non-dairy paneer alternative that is otherwise legally permitted, it must be clearly identified to consumers and must not be represented as conventional dairy paneer.
The distinction is important because the State’s action is directed at misrepresentation and non-compliant products, rather than creating a blanket prohibition on every non-dairy food product.
Traceability made a key compliance requirement
Food business operators have also been directed to maintain appropriate purchase invoices, batch information and product labels in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
Such documentation allows regulators to trace a product from the point of purchase or manufacture through distribution and final sale.
Food Safety Officers have been authorised to inspect establishments, collect samples and initiate enforcement action against non-compliant products. This may include seizure, recall and destruction, where applicable.
Legal action for violations
Businesses found manufacturing or selling products in violation of applicable food-safety requirements may face prosecution under relevant food laws, particularly where products are found to be substandard, misbranded or unsafe.
The government has clarified that non-dairy products governed under separate applicable standards are not prohibited merely because they do not contain milk fat. The critical requirement is that such products must comply with the relevant regulations and must be accurately labelled and not sold or advertised to consumers as genuine dairy paneer.
Growing scrutiny of analogue paneer
Himachal Pradesh’s move comes amid increasing regulatory attention to analogue paneer and other dairy substitutes across India.
The central issue is increasingly shifting from simply asking whether a product contains non-milk ingredients to determining whether its composition, identity, labelling and marketing accurately communicate what consumers are purchasing.
For the dairy industry, the development reinforces the importance of milk-fat authenticity, ingredient declaration, batch traceability, laboratory testing and transparent consumer communication.
For consumers, the message is straightforward: a non-dairy alternative may exist as a separate food category, but it should not be presented as conventional milk-derived paneer.
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