FSSAI Proposes New Rules to Stop Non-Milk Products from Using the Name Paneer

What Happened

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed a draft amendment to stop fake or non-milk paneer products from being sold using the name paneer. The Union Health Ministry released a statement on Thursday explaining that this move aims to stop consumers from getting confused about what is actually inside their food. The new rules fall under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2026. They add a specific new clause under Regulation 2.1.1 to cover paneer made from things that do not come from milk.

What Changes

Products that currently have a license under the 'Analogue in Dairy Context' group will have to completely stop using the word paneer in their names, product labels, and marketing campaigns. The goal is to make sure that food labels tell the exact truth about their ingredients so buyers can pick what they want with clear information. Since this is only a draft notification right now, the agency is asking for feedback, ideas, and objections from the public and industry stakeholders. These proposed rules will be looked at again after 60 days pass from the date the official notification goes public.