The state FDA also said that selling analogue paneer as dairy paneer would mislead consumers and constitute an unfair trade practice under the food safety law. It added that strict legal action would be initiated against individuals or establishments found guilty, a report by The Indian Express stated on Wednesday.
Violations can attract up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh. In cases where the consumption of unsafe food results in death, offenders can face life imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh.
The order, issued by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, came into effect immediately on July 30.
Maharashtra is the second state to impose such a ban after Chhattisgarh.
What is analogue paneer?
Synthetic or non-dairy paneer, also known as analogue paneer, resembles traditional paneer in appearance and texture but is not made entirely from milk. Instead, it is typically produced using vegetable fats or oils and other non-dairy ingredients as substitutes for milk fat.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations, paneer must be made from milk and not contain added starch, non-dairy fats, or any synthetic ingredients. While the sale of analogue paneer is permitted under FSSAI regulations, it is allowed only if the product is clearly disclosed and correctly labelled.
Why did Maharashtra ban analogue paneer?
The ban came after the Maharashtra FDA tested 308 paneer and non-dairy analogue samples between April 2025 and March 2026. Of these, 109 samples – around 35.4 per cent – failed to meet prescribed standards. Among the failed samples, 79 were classified as sub-standard, while 30 were declared unsafe for consumption.
Laboratory analysis of the extracted fat found that the butyro-refractometer (BR) reading—a measure used to assess the purity and composition of milk fat—and the iodine value, which indicates the degree of unsaturation in fat, were outside the prescribed range in a significant number of the failed samples. This meant that vegetable fat had been added to, or had replaced, milk fat.
The ban also comes amid a wider crackdown on food safety violations across Maharashtra, as authorities have stepped up inspections of restaurants, hotels and other food establishments.
Many hotels, caterers and cloud kitchens across Maharashtra were using analogue paneer without informing customers, misleading them into believing they were being served genuine dairy paneer, the FDA said. It also flagged concerns over loose paneer being transported and sold without proper labels, invoices or traceability records, making it difficult to identify its source in case of food safety violations.
