The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration has prohibited the manufacture, sale, and use of analogue paneer in the state for a year due to public health concerns. The ban also extends to food business operators that use analogue paneer as an ingredient.
On August 17, the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration department issued a notification banning the manufacture, sale, and use of analogue or non-dairy paneer marketed as paneer within the state. Analogue paneer is a non-dairy or partially synthetic substitute for traditional paneer, replacing milk fat and milk solids with cheaper vegetable oils. The ban applies to food business operators that use analogue paneer as an ingredient, prohibiting restaurants, food manufacturers, caterers, and other food establishments from using, storing, supplying, or selling such products in food preparation. However, the notification does not cover standardised food products for which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has prescribed separate quality standards.
The excluded products include frozen desserts, processed cheese, and mixed-fat spreads, which have their own recognised standards. Enforcement measures will be carried out across Karnataka to ensure compliance with the order. It is worth noting that Maharashtra had previously enacted a similar ban on July 30, citing public health concerns.
This decision aims to protect public health by regulating the production and consumption of non-dairy or partially synthetic substitutes for traditional paneer.
Source:
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