Govt mulls guidelines on labelling 'analogue paneer' in hotels, restaurants

The Consumer Affairs Ministry is considering issuing guidelines to require hotels and restaurants to clearly mention when they use "analogue paneer" in the dishes served to customers, a top government official said on Monday.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already made it mandatory for manufacturers to label analogue paneer as "non-dairy" to prevent consumer deception, but these regulations do not currently extend to prepared food served in restaurants.

"Analogue paneer looks and tastes like traditional paneer, but it is not paneer. Analogue paneer is cheaper and why not hotels and restaurants reveal it to consumers," Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told PTI.

Khare emphasised that establishments should clearly inform customers whether dishes contain traditional or analogue paneer and price them accordingly. 

"Not in the name of traditional paneer, they should sell analogue paneer," she stated.

Analogue paneer has gained popularity in commercial kitchens as it costs nearly half as much as dairy-based paneer while maintaining a similar taste and texture.

According to FSSAI regulations, an "analogue" paneer is a product where milk constituents are either fully or partially replaced with non-dairy ingredients, though, the final product mimics traditional dairy-based paneer.

While traditional paneer is made by curdling fresh milk with acids like lemon juice or vinegar, analogue versions typically contain emulsifiers, starch, and vegetable oils.

Health concerns have been raised about some manufacturers using low-quality vegetable oils and other additives in these products.