NHRC notice to states, UTs, FSSAI over concerns raised about sale, consumption of 'analogue paneer'

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to all Indian states and Union Territories, as well as to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), following a complaint about the manufacturing, sale, and consumption of analogue paneer. The NHRC believes it is essential for FSSAI to clarify the nutritional composition and value of analogue paneer, including its protein, fat, and other nutritional parameters, and whether such information is properly disclosed to consumers.

Analogue paneer is an imitation of traditional dairy paneer, and there are concerns about why its manufacture, regulation, and sale are deemed necessary, especially when three states have already imposed restrictions or prohibitions on it. The NHRC is questioning the nutritional or consumer benefits of allowing its production and sale to continue.

The issue stems from a report submitted on August 11 by the Advanced Study Institute of Asia, Centre for Health Equity, concerning issues of consumer protection, food safety, transparency in nomenclature and labelling, and the adequacy of enforcement mechanisms across states and Union Territories. The NHRC has also reviewed a briefing note titled 'Analogue Paneer in India: A Food-Systems Threat to Health Equity' by the Centre for Health Equity, Advanced Study Institute of Asia, which highlights potential health risks associated with the use of non-dairy analogues in products labeled as paneer.