India’s food regulator, the FSSAI, is moving to ban non-dairy “analogue” paneer — products that look and taste like paneer but are made without milk — in a crackdown on misleading dairy substitutes.

The move draws a sharp line around one of India’s most beloved foods: if it isn’t made from milk, it cannot be sold as paneer.

What is analogue paneer

Analogue paneer is a manufactured product designed to mimic real paneer’s appearance and texture, typically using vegetable oils, starches and milk solids substitutes instead of fresh milk. It is significantly cheaper to produce — which is why it has quietly found its way into restaurants, caterers and food carts.

For consumers, the problem is deception. Diners ordering paneer dishes have no way of knowing whether what arrives on the plate is genuine dairy paneer or a cheaper analogue — and they are paying paneer prices either way.

Why the regulator is acting

The FSSAI’s mandate is to protect consumers from adulterated and mislabelled food. Allowing non-dairy products to trade on paneer’s name, the regulator’s position suggests, is fundamentally misleading — regardless of whether the substitute is itself safe to eat.

The ban push also protects India’s dairy farmers, whose livelihoods depend on genuine milk products holding their value against cheaper imitations.

What it means for food businesses

Restaurants, sweet shops and caterers that have been using analogue paneer to cut costs will need to rethink their sourcing — or label their products honestly. Enforcement will be the real test: analogue products are hard to spot without lab testing.

For consumers, though, the direction is clear. The paneer on your thali should be paneer — and the regulator intends to make sure of it.