The Maharashtra government has officially banned the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of analogue paneer across the state for a year. Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe issued the gazette notification to curb the spread of adulterated food. Tukaram took this bold action after a year-long surveillance drive revealed that 35.4 percent of analysed paneer samples failed to meet food safety standards.
The ban comes amid an intensified crackdown highlighted by a recent raid in Pune where officials seized 1,400 kg of fake paneer alongside palm oil and chemical additives. Authorities have firmly warned that violators face up to six months in prison and a fine of ₹1 lakh. If the consumption of unsafe food leads to death, offenders could face life imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh.
Elaborating on the temporary nature of the ban, an FDA official stated, “The law itself has a provision of banning such items for one year only. As per our information, analogue paneer has very low nutritional value. But there is no legal support for us to put a complete ban on such types of paneer.”
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute welcomed the ruling as a pioneering step for public health. Vikram has also actively urged the government to closely inspect analogue cheese sales.
Analogue paneer is a synthetic substitute made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and additives rather than fresh milk fat. While traditional paneer consists entirely of curdled milk, this cheaper alternative relies on ingredients like palm oil, skimmed milk powder and glycerol monostearate to mimic the texture of authentic cottage cheese.
Driven by lower production costs, it has become immensely popular across India's hospitality sector. Many hotels, restaurants, caterers and street food vendors frequently use it to maximise profit margins. However, selling this substitute—which contains lower protein levels and higher amounts of unhealthy fats—without informing diners constitutes an unfair trade practice and poses serious health risks.
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