‘Won’t promote cheap, non-dairy substitutes’: Madhya Pradesh bans analogue paneer

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a ban on analogue paneer, also known as imitation paneer, in the state on Wednesday. According to Yadav, the government will not promote cheaper non-dairy substitutes and will instead emphasize products made from natural milk as part of its efforts to boost milk production. He stated that the sale of analogue paneer would be discouraged, and the state would focus on strengthening its dairy identity by producing natural paneer.

The chief minister emphasized the importance of natural milk products in building the state's identity and said the government is working to increase milk production in the region. This move follows similar bans imposed in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh. The controversy surrounding analogue paneer arises from the fact that it is manufactured to resemble conventional paneer but can use non-milk ingredients such as vegetable fats, starches, and other ingredients instead of the milk fat and proteins found in traditional dairy paneer.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had issued a public notice on April 22, urging food service establishments to correctly label their cheese analogues and prohibiting the use of the term "paneer" for any cheese analogue.