Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Madhya Pradesh bans analogue paneer, fourth state to do so
Paneer is a soft cheese made from milk that people in India love to eat.
Some companies make a fake kind called analogue paneer.
It looks like real paneer but is made with vegetable fats, starch, and other non-dairy things instead of lots of milk.
It costs much less than real paneer, so restaurants and caterers often buy it.
A state in India called Madhya Pradesh has banned analogue paneer.
The Chief Minister, Mohan Yadav, announced the ban on making, selling and using it.
A health minister, Narendra Shivaji Patel, said the fake paneer could be bad for people's health.
Three other states — Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat — had already banned it.
Food safety officers in the city of Indore found and took about 450 kilograms of paneer they thought was fake.
The government wants people to eat natural paneer made from real milk instead.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a ban on the production, sale and use of analogue paneer, making the state the fourth after Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh to do so.
Public Health Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel said the ban would be imposed 'as soon as possible,' citing health risks from non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable oils, fats and starch.
Analogue paneer sells at Rs 200-220 per kg versus Rs 450-470 for natural paneer, and hotels, restaurants and catering businesses are its biggest purchasers.
Following the announcement, the Food Safety Department in Indore seized about 450 kg of low-fat paneer suspected to be analogue paneer from a dairy factory.
Officials estimate 300-400 quintals of analogue paneer enter Madhya Pradesh daily, with monthly consumption figures ranging from about 9,000-12,000 to 14,000 quintals across reports.
- Who
- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Public Health Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel, and Food Safety Department officials.
- What
- A ban on the production, sale and use of analogue paneer, a cheaper non-dairy substitute for traditional milk-based paneer.
- When
- Announced on a Wednesday; Minister Patel said the previous day (Tuesday) that the ban would come 'as soon as possible.' The articles give days of the week but no calendar date.
- Where
- Madhya Pradesh, India; a Food Safety Department seizure took place in Indore, and a related raid occurred in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
- Why
- Health concerns over non-dairy ingredients, misleading labelling that confuses consumers, fear that Madhya Pradesh could become a dumping ground after neighbouring states banned the product, and a push to promote natural milk products.
Affordability and market demand
Health and consumer protection
The analogue paneer ban
Affordability and market demand
Analogue paneer costs less than half the price of natural paneer (Rs 200-220 vs Rs 450-470 per kg), and its demand has increased in the market, with hotels, restaurants and catering businesses as its biggest purchasers.
Health and consumer protection
Analogue paneer is made with vegetable oils, fats, starch and other non-dairy ingredients that can adversely affect the human body, and FSSAI labelling rules meant to prevent consumer confusion are generally not followed.
- State
- Madhya Pradesh
- Action
- Ban on production, sale and use of analogue paneer
- Announced by
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav; Public Health Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel
- Status
- Fourth state to ban (after Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh)
- Prices
- Analogue paneer Rs 200-220/kg; natural paneer Rs 450-470/kg
- Estimated daily inflow
- 300-400 quintals of analogue paneer into Madhya Pradesh
- Seizures
- About 450 kg in Indore (MP); about 500 kg in Raipur (Chhattisgarh)
- Regulator
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Sources
‘Won’t promote cheap, non-dairy substitutes’: Madhya Pradesh bans analogue paneer
MP Bans Analog Paneer; 450 Kg Seized In Indore
CM Mohan Yadav Bans Production, Sale & Usage Of Analogue Paneer In Madhya Pradesh
