Food business operators such as hotels, restaurants, and catering services that use substitutes for traditional dairy-based paneer or cheese products would come under the ambit of the proposed amendment.
Published: September 24, 2026, 5:40 PM IST
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FSSAI has said that businesses using paneer or cheese analogues must clearly disclose this to consumersRepresentational image
FSSAI has proposed curbing the use of the term “paneer” for analogue paneer and cheese products, in a move aimed at preventing consumers from being misled about what they’re actually buying.
Food business operators such as hotels, restaurants, and catering services that use substitutes for traditional dairy-based paneer or cheese products would come under the ambit of the proposed amendment.
The FSSAI has said that businesses using paneer or cheese analogues must clearly disclose this to consumers, prominently displaying the information at touchpoints such as menu cards and packaging labels, in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations.
The notification said the proposed amendment is intended to prevent analogue dairy products from being sold as paneer and misleading consumers about what they containProducts licensed or registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category will no longer be permitted to use “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing.
The proposal also states that products already licensed or registered under the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category would have to discontinue the use of the term “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing.
The FSSAI said the proposed changes are aimed at ensuring consumers are not misled about products that are not traditional dairy-based paneer or cheese.
The proposal comes amid increased food safety inspections and regulatory scrutiny over the labelling and composition of food products.
FSSAI cracks down on Amazon, Swiggy, BigBasket, other online delivery apps
Food regulator FSSAI on Wednesday said it has initiated penal action against e-commerce platforms Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, Flipkart India and Zepto for various non-compliances, including misleading claims and sale of prohibited productsIn a social media post, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) informed that it has launched a “major crackdown on e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, Flipkart India and Zepto over regulatory non-compliances”.
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