{
  "id": 9736203,
  "title": "Why is non-dairy paneer called analogue paneer and not fake paneer?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/why-is-non-dairy-paneer-called-analogue-paneer-and-not-fake-paneer",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-25T08:23:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/why-is-non-dairy-paneer-called-analogue-paneer-and-not-fake-paneer-101790318953723.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed changes to regulations aimed at preventing the misleading marketing of non-dairy paneer as paneer. The term \"analogue paneer\" has recently come under scrutiny as food regulatory bodies take action to stop consumers from being deceived about the nature and composition of these products.\n\nAnalogue paneer is defined by FSSAI as a product in which constituents not derived from milk replace any milk constituents, resulting in a final product that mimics the organoleptic and functional characteristics of paneer. In simpler terms, these are products made to look and taste like paneer but using non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable fats or proteins.\n\nPaneer is considered \"fake\" when it is sold under the name paneer despite not meeting the standards for paneer or containing inedible ingredients. Any milk or milk product that does not conform to FSSAI specifications is classified as an analogue if its primary milk components are replaced with non-milk constituents.\n\nAccording to FSSAI, analogue products are not recognized as dairy and therefore cannot use dairy terminology in their labeling or marketing. The authority has proposed a nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of non-dairy analogue products labeled as paneer to avoid misleading consumers. Products registered under the 'Analogue in Dairy Context' category will be required to stop using the term \"paneer\" in their labeling and marketing.\n\nEight states have already banned the sale of such products due to food safety concerns. Food delivery platform Zomato has also banned analogue paneer on its platform, warning that restaurants violating the policy could be removed from the service. Under the new regulations, restaurants must either switch to natural dairy products or remove dishes containing analogue ingredients from their menus.",
  "summary": "To avoid misleading consumers, FSSAI aims to restrict the labelling of non-dairy products as paneer.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}