Shops and wholesale markets across Maharashtra will no longer be allowed to sell fake or analog paneer, after the state government imposed a complete ban on its manufacture, sale, storage, transport and distribution. Citing public health concerns, the state has outlawed analog, or artificial, paneer at every stage, from factory to shop counter. Officials say the crackdown is meant to stop cheaper, oil-based imitations from quietly replacing genuine dairy paneer on store shelves. With this move, Maharashtra becomes the second state in the country, after Chhattisgarh, to impose a full ban on analog paneer.
Order issued on July 30
The state's Food Safety Commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe, issued an order on July 30 banning the manufacture, processing, packing, storage, transport, wholesale sale, retail sale and even the display for sale of analog or non-dairy paneer, with immediate effect. In practice, no factory can produce it, no warehouse can store it, and no shopkeeper can sell it anywhere in the state, whether in small quantities or in bulk.
Selling it as real paneer will count as fraud
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made clear that if any shopkeeper or company is caught selling analog paneer under the name of real dairy paneer, it will be treated as misleading consumers and an unfair trade practice. Such conduct will be treated as an offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and offenders will face strict legal action, regardless of how small the outlet is.
Up to 6 months in jail, fine up to Rs 1 lakh
Punishment for breaking the rule has also been spelled out clearly. Depending on how serious the offence is, a guilty party can face up to 6 months in jail along with a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. It doesn't end there, if someone dies after consuming unsafe food, those held responsible could face life imprisonment along with a fine of at least Rs 10 lakh, one of the harshest penalties under the food safety framework.
The issue had reached the state assembly last year
This isn't the first time analog paneer has come under scrutiny. Last year, legislators raised the issue in the Maharashtra assembly and demanded a complete ban on it, arguing that unsuspecting consumers were being sold an oil-based product at dairy prices. The government's latest decision is being seen as a major step in that direction. Officials believe the ban will stop analog paneer from being passed off as the real thing in the market, ensuring consumers get access to safer food products.
What separates real paneer from analog paneer
Real paneer is made from milk and is considered a good source of protein, which is why it remains a household staple in Indian kitchens. Analog paneer, on the other hand, is essentially a ball of oil, made using vegetable oils and similar ingredients, with no milk or dairy product used in it at all. That's precisely why many shopkeepers would pass off the cheaper analog version as real paneer, hurting both the health and the wallets of unsuspecting customers who had no way of telling the two apart just by looking.
