Bengaluru
The Karnataka government has officially banned the manufacturing, storage, distribution, and sale of artificial or analogue paneer across the state for a period of one year.
Issued by the Food Safety Division of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, the emergency notification aims to protect public health and consumer interests. The ruling prohibits all processing, wholesale and retail sales, packing, and government supply of non-dairy paneer variants containing vegetable fats or oils instead of pure milk fat.
According to officials, authentic paneer is legally classified under food safety rules as a certified dairy product derived strictly from milk. Products substituting milk solids with vegetable oils or other non-dairy components cannot be labeled or sold as paneer. Although recent local tests found tested samples free of active toxic adulteration, authorities enforced the sweeping ban to prevent deceptive market practices and safeguard consumers.
The restriction applies strictly to uncertified dairy analogue products lacking specific standards recognized by national food authorities. It does not impact certified items like processed cheese, frozen desserts, or mixed fat spreads that follow separate regulatory frameworks.
Furthermore, commercial food businesses and hotels are strictly barred from utilizing analogue paneer ingredients in any prepared food items. The state food safety commissioner emphasized that strict legal action will be taken against operators failing to comply, and enforcement teams have begun monitoring commercial establishments across the state to ensure immediate implementation of the new directive.
