Maharashtra has completely banned the manufacture and sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer, with violations attracting up to six months in jail and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The move, aimed at curbing the sale of fake and adulterated dairy products, makes Maharashtra the second state after Chhattisgarh to impose such a ban.
According to the ban order issued by Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the manufacture, processing, packing, storage, transportation, wholesale and retail sale, distribution and offering for sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer have been prohibited across the state.
Depending on the severity of the offence, violations can attract imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. In cases where the consumption of unsafe food results in death, the law provides for life imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also warned that selling analogue paneer as genuine dairy paneer would amount to misleading consumers and constitute an unfair trade practice under the food safety law. Strict legal action would be initiated against individuals or establishments found indulging in such practices, it said.
Analogue paneer is typically made using vegetable fats or oils and other non-dairy ingredients as substitutes for milk fat. While such products may resemble traditional paneer, authorities have raised concerns over their sale as genuine dairy products without proper disclosure to consumers.
Under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations, paneer must be made from milk with no added starch, non-dairy fats or synthetic elements. The FSSAI permits the sale of analogue paneer, but only if it is strictly disclosed and correctly labeled.
The issue had also reached the Maharashtra Assembly last year, with legislators demanding a complete ban on analogue paneer. The July 30 order now formally prohibits all major activities involving such products across the state.
The decision comes amid an intensified crackdown on adulterated dairy products in Maharashtra. A statewide enforcement drive targeting synthetic milk and paneer manufacturing units has been underway since May, leading to a series of raids and seizures.
In one major raid at a godown in Pune's Manjari Khurd, authorities busted a fake paneer racket and seized around 1,400 kg of the product, which officials said was being manufactured using cheaper substitutes.
The raiding team also confiscated 1,800 kg of skimmed milk powder, 400 kg of glycerol monostearate (GMS) powder and 718 litres of palm oil, besides other materials allegedly being used to manufacture fake dairy products.
The crackdown on non-dairy paneer comes amid intensified inspections and enforcement drives against unhygienic restaurants and hotels across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, resulting in multiple closures and licence cancellations.
Source: India Today