FSSAI's Crackdown on Unlabeled Analogue Dairy Products

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has embarked on a campaign to ensure proper labeling of analogue dairy products, such as paneer, that eschew traditional dairy ingredients in favor of plant-based substitutes. The agency has initiated a public consultation to enhance regulatory compliance.

FSSAI's movement stems from concerns about consumers being misled into purchasing products that closely mimic dairy items but are made from ingredients like vegetable oil and starch. Although such products are legal if correctly labeled, the rampant misleading practices have prompted the regulatory body to seek public opinion on necessary changes.

The FSSAI document clearly states, “Several media reports have been surfaced wherein it is claimed that products like ‘Analogue in dairy context’ are being sold as ‘Dairy products’, thus misleading consumers." In efforts to curb this, regulations have mandated that analogue products cannot claim to be milk or milk-derived items unless properly indicated.

Recommendations include prohibiting the sale of these products in unlabeled or hard-to-verify forms and requiring hotels and eateries to disclose the nature of their offerings on menus. FSSAI also plans to restrict the sale of analogue products in packages smaller than 500 grams and may deny registration to habitual violators.

To streamline these efforts, FSSAI encourages consumers to report false food labeling via its mobile application.