Punjab bans analogue paneer production and sales for one year

The Punjab government has introduced a statewide, year-long ban on analogue paneer, a non-dairy substitute designed to resemble traditional paneer. The restriction covers manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and commercial transactions, regardless of the product’s branding or trade name.

The order was made by Kanwalpreet Brar, commissioner of Punjab’s Food and Drug Administration, under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It applies to food business operators across the state and prevents them from making, holding or offering the imitation product for sale.

Punjab’s authorities said enforcement teams would conduct inspections across the supply chain. Their campaign includes manufacturing facilities, cold-storage premises, wholesale mandis and retail outlets, with surveillance intended to check compliance with the prohibition.

Analogue paneer is generally made with combinations of vegetable fats, starches or emulsifiers and skimmed-milk solids rather than being produced entirely from milk. Such products are formulated to reproduce some of the appearance, texture and cooking characteristics of dairy paneer. Authentic paneer commonly has a crumbly curd structure and small natural fissures, while imitation versions can have a smooth, consistent white appearance. The source report said they are also often marketed without clear information for consumers.

The Punjab measure comes during broader food-safety and anti-adulteration operations in northern India before the main festive period. In neighbouring Delhi, officials recently confiscated and destroyed more than 500kg of suspected spurious paneer during inspections at Okhla Sabzi Mandi. They also collected dozens of dairy samples for laboratory testing.

Food regulators in other large-consuming states, including Maharashtra, have increased preventive checks and market audits. Authorities have advised shoppers to examine labels, batch information and ingredient lists when buying dairy products and festival sweets. The Punjab order forms part of these reported enforcement activities against substandard or falsely represented dairy substitutes.