Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Maharashtra bans non-dairy analogue paneer for one year
Paneer is a soft cheese made from milk that many people in India eat.
Some sellers make a fake version, called 'analogue' paneer, using vegetable oil and other additives instead of milk.
The government of Maharashtra decided to ban this fake paneer for one whole year.
The food department tested 308 paneer samples in laboratories.
It found that 109 of them did not follow the food rules.
Thirty of those samples were even declared unsafe to eat.
The ban started on July 30, right after the order was published in the state's official gazette.
Hotels, restaurants, caterers and cloud kitchens must now serve only real paneer made from milk.
People who break the rule can be fined or sent to jail.
Tofu and other non-paneer foods are not affected by the ban.
Maharashtra has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of 'analogue' (non-dairy/synthetic) paneer for one year, effective from July 30.
Hotels, restaurants, caterers and cloud kitchens are barred from using, selling or serving vegetable-fat paneer substitutes instead of genuine milk-based paneer.
The order was issued by Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; one report cites Section 30(2)(a), another cites Section 32(A).
FDA tests from April 2025 to March 2026 found 109 of 308 paneer samples (35.4%) failed to conform to standards — 79 sub-standard and 30 unsafe, with vegetable fat found replacing milk fat.
Penalties range from six months' imprisonment with a Rs 1 lakh fine to life imprisonment and a minimum Rs 10 lakh fine if unsafe food consumption results in death; a statewide inspection drive is planned.
- Who
- The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with the order issued by Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe; BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute welcomed the decision.
- What
- A one-year ban on the manufacture, processing, storage, distribution and sale of 'analogue' (non-dairy/synthetic) paneer, including its use by hotels, restaurants, caterers and cloud kitchens.
- When
- The order was published in the state gazette on July 30 and takes effect immediately for one year; it is based on FDA sampling data from April 2025 to March 2026.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- Laboratory tests found widespread violations and health concerns — 35.4% of tested paneer samples failed to conform to standards, with vegetable fat replacing milk fat, and no specific standards exist for analogue paneer.
- Regulator
- Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Issuing authority
- Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe
- Legal basis
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (reported as Section 30(2)(a) and Section 32(A))
- Ban duration
- 1 year, effective from July 30
- Samples tested (Apr 2025 - Mar 2026)
- 308
- Failed samples
- 109 (35.4%) — 79 sub-standard, 30 unsafe
- Penalties
- Six months' imprisonment + Rs 1 lakh fine to life imprisonment + Rs 10 lakh minimum fine
- Exempted products
- Tofu and other non-paneer foods
