Maharashtra govt. bans analogue paneer for one year, cites food safety norm violations
Offenders could face life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh, as per a recent government order
The Maharashtra government has implemented a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of non-dairy, or analogue, paneer due to concerns over food safety and widespread violations of regulations. This move comes after a year-long enforcement and surveillance drive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which found that analogue paneer was often used in place of conventional paneer without proper disclosure.
Analogue paneer, made from vegetable oils and additives, has lower nutritional value and is cheaper to produce. The ban, which prohibits the manufacturing, processing, and sale of analogue paneer, is the second of its kind in India, following Chhattisgarh's similar action. Offenders could face up to life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh.
The FDA has warned that serving analogue paneer as conventional paneer without informing consumers constitutes an unfair trade practice and could result in penal action.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
