The Maharashtra government has imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of ‘analogue’ or non-dairy paneer, citing public health concerns and widespread violations of food safety norms. The decision was announced on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, after a year-long enforcement and surveillance drive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which found that routine inspections, sampling, and awareness campaigns had failed to curb the sale of analogue paneer. According to officials, offenders could face imprisonment ranging from six months with a fine of ₹1 lakh to life imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh in cases where consumption of unsafe food results in death, as per a recent government order.
Maharashtra is the second state after Chhattisgarh to impose such a ban. The FDA said it found that several hotels, restaurants, caterers, and other food establishments were using analogue paneer in place of conventional paneer without disclosing the substitution on menus, invoices, or display boards. Analogue paneer is a non-dairy substitute made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers, and other additives instead of milk fat.
It is cheaper to produce than conventional paneer and generally contains lower protein levels. A gazette notification issued by Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has prohibited the manufacturing, processing, preparation, packing, storage, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale, as well as offering for sale, of analogue paneer across the state. The FDA has warned that serving analogue paneer as conventional dairy paneer without informing consumers would amount to an unfair trade practice under the Food Safety and Standards Act and attract penal action.
BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute, who had raised the issue in the State legislature and sought a ban on analogue paneer, welcomed the government’s decision, calling it a pioneering step to safeguard consumer health.
