- India’s food regulator proposes uniform rules to ban non-milk products from being labeled as paneer
- Maharashtra earlier banned sale and distribution of non-dairy paneer analogues within the state
- FSSAI’s proposal aims for consistent national standards on labeling and representation of paneer
India's food safety regulator has proposed uniform nationwide rules to stop products made without milk from being labelled or sold as “paneer”, following Maharashtra's earlier move of crack down on analogue and non-dairy substitutes.
The FDA commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe in a post on X, said: "Good regulation does not merely respond to problems. It anticipates them."
He pointed to Maharashtra's July action as an example, when the state barred the production, stocking, movement, distribution and sale of analogue or non-dairy products being marketed as paneer.
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The move has now been followed by a broader proposal from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which seeks to establish uniform rules across the country on how such products can be represented and labelled.
The debate ultimately comes down to how a food product is defined. Traditionally, paneer is made from milk, whereas analogue versions can contain plant-based or other non-milk ingredients in place of dairy.
Act before it becomes a crisis.
— Tukaram Mundhe (@Tukaram_IndIAS) September 25, 2026
Good regulation does not merely respond to problems. It anticipates them.
That was the thinking behind Maharashtra's action against analogue/non-dairy paneer. Maharashtra prohibited its manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale… https://t.co/xuzsIJqEmU
Allowing such products to be represented simply as “Paneer” could make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between conventional dairy products and alternatives.
The proposed restrictions are therefore aimed at ensuring that the name used on a food product accurately reflects its composition. For consumers, this could mean clearer information at the point of purchase and greater transparency about what they are paying for
Maharashtra's action provided a state-level response, but food products move across state boundaries and are sold through national supply chains. A common regulatory framework could therefore reduce differences in enforcement and labelling requirements between states.
The development also highlights a broader challenge for India's food industry: balancing product innovation with clear consumer disclosure.
Non-dairy and analogue products can occupy a legitimate space in the market, but their identity and composition need to be communicated without creating confusion with established dairy products.
If adopted, the proposed nationwide restrictions would mark a shift from responding to individual state-level concerns towards a more consistent national approach to the naming and representation of milk-based foods.
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