FSSAI proposes draft amendment to ensure only milk-derived products are represented as ‘Paneer’. In this amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, the food regulator aims to restrict the manufacture and sale of analog products as paneer and prevent consumers from being misled about the nature and composition of such products.
The amendment seeks to insert a new clause under the regulation 2.1.1 of the existing regulations, specifically targeting products made from constituents not derived from milk. Under the proposed amendment, the products only licensed or registered under the analog in dairy context category would be required to discontinue the use of the term ‘paneer’ on their packaging.
“The amendment is proposed in the following regulation to restrict manufacturing and sale of analogue product as paneer so as to prevent misleading of consumers regarding the nature and composition of the product,” the notification said.
“Products already licenced or registered under the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category shall discontinue the use of the term “paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing,” it added.
The FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders and members of the public. The draft regulations will be taken into consideration after the expiry of the 60 days from the present official gazette containing the notification was made public for the benefit of the public. Objections or suggestions may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Bhavan, Kotla Road, New Delhi, 110002, as submitted through an email address specified in the notification. The move comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of non-dairy paneer substitutes, fueled by a recent crackdown on the manufacture and sale, amid aims of preventing consumers from being misled about the nature of food they are buying.
Analog for paneer is generally formulated using non dairy fats, oils and starch along with other ingredients to reflect the texture and appearance of the conventional paneer derived from milk.