Punjab Bans Non-Dairy Analogue Paneer for One Year

The Punjab government has imposed a one-year prohibition on the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer being marketed under the name "paneer" across the state, according to an official order issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Punjab.

The Commissioner of Food Safety, Punjab, issued the original Prohibition Order (No. Food(Pb)/2026/1406) on August 20, 2026, invoking Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which empowers the Commissioner of Food Safety to prohibit, in the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of food either in the whole state or a specified area for a period not exceeding one year.

This was followed up with a compliance letter dated August 25, 2026, from the Joint Commissioner, Food Safety, Punjab, directing all Designated Officers (Food Safety) and Food Safety Officers in the state to strictly enforce the order.

The order notes that several Food Business Operators (FBOs) have been found manufacturing a paneer-like product using vegetable oil or fat and other non-dairy ingredients instead of milk, and marketing or selling it under the "paneer" label, misrepresenting it as the genuine dairy product to consumers.

Officials cited Regulation 2.1.16 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, which lays down the standard for chhana and paneer, both of which are required to be made from milk or milk products. Analogue paneer made with vegetable fat or oil does not meet this standard and cannot legally be sold as "paneer."

As per the directive, Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers across Punjab have been asked to conduct regular and surprise inspections of dairy units, paneer manufacturing units, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, cold stores and warehouses. They have also been told to verify vehicle and transport records used for moving paneer consignments, and to check the source and purchase records of paneer being used by hotels, restaurants, dhabas, caterers, institutional kitchens and other food-service establishments.

The order further states that if any FBO is found violating the prohibition by manufacturing, storing, transporting, distributing or selling analogue or non-dairy paneer under the "paneer" name, strict and immediate legal action will be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and its accompanying regulations. The letter has been marked as "extremely urgent," officials said.

Complaints about adulterated or synthetic paneer being sold in the market ahead of festive and wedding seasons are common across several states, with food safety authorities periodically flagging vegetable-fat-based substitutes being passed off as dairy paneer.

Under FSSAI norms, genuine paneer must be prepared exclusively from milk or milk products, and any product using vegetable oils, starch or other non-dairy fillers instead is legally classified as an "analogue" and cannot be sold under the paneer name without being clearly labelled as such.

Health experts have flagged such substitutes for lacking the protein content of real paneer and, in some adulterated cases, containing detergents or other harmful additives.