Karnataka bans analogue paneer for a year

Bengaluru restaurants, caterers and food sellers cannot use or sell analogue paneer for the next year under a Karnataka-wide order issued on August 17.

The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration has barred the manufacture, processing, storage, transport and sale of the non-dairy product, which is made with vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other additives. The restriction also covers food businesses using it in dishes or supplying it to customers.

Paneer is defined in food regulations as a standardised milk product. The order says certain dairy analogue products do not yet have specific quality standards, creating scope for them to be sold or used as paneer and misleading consumers. Required declarations about non-dairy ingredients must still be made under food-safety rules.

Food-safety officials said tests of paneer samples collected in Karnataka found no adulteration. The ban is intended to prevent non-dairy alternatives from being presented as paneer rather than responding to detected adulteration.

Health Minister U T Khader said Karnataka will host food-safety officials from across the country to prepare recommendations for regulatory reforms to be submitted to the Centre. The state also plans district-level meetings and training on food safety and hygiene for restaurant and street-food vendor associations.