Himachal Pradesh has prohibited the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of non-dairy “analogue paneer” being passed off as genuine dairy paneer across the state. The order was issued by Commissioner of Food Safety Ashish Singhmar under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has come into immediate effect and will remain operational for one year.
The action follows market surveillance and laboratory testing by the state Food Safety Department, which detected instances of adulteration, misbranding and violations of food-safety and traceability requirements. Authorities found cases where suppliers were substituting milk fat with vegetable oils and other non-dairy fats in paneer-like products while selling them under the name “paneer”; some products also lacked proper labels, purchase invoices and traceability records.
Under the new directions, food business operators are prohibited from manufacturing, transporting, storing or selling products containing non-milk fats under the name “Paneer.” The restrictions also cover restaurants, hotels, cloud kitchens, hostels, dhabas and caterers, which cannot use synthetic or analogue paneer in dishes advertised or listed as paneer; any non-dairy alternative must be clearly declared to consumers.
The order also requires businesses to maintain purchase invoices, batch details and product labelling in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, strengthening traceability and the ability to establish product sources. Food Safety Officers have been empowered to inspect premises, collect samples and take action including seizure, recall and destruction of non-compliant products, while violators may face prosecution under applicable food-safety laws.
Importantly, the government has clarified that separately regulated non-dairy products meeting applicable standards are not prohibited; however, they must be accurately labelled and cannot be represented to consumers as genuine dairy paneer. Himachal Pradesh’s move makes it the fifth state to take such action against analogue paneer being marketed as genuine dairy paneer. (The Times of India)
Source: Dairynews7x7 22 Aug, 2026 Read full story here
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