- By Vaidika Thapa
- Wed, 05 Aug 2026 04:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Maharashtra bans analogue paneer for public health safety.
- FDA order prohibits sale, manufacture of artificial cheese.
- Violators face strict legal action under Food Safety Act.
The Maharashtra government has imposed an immediate and complete ban on analogue paneer across the state. The move aims at safeguarding public health and ensuring consumers are protected from adulterated food products. With this decisive action, Maharashtra has also become the second state in India, following Chhattisgarh, to outlaw the product.
Maharashtra FDA Bans Analogue Paneer
Issued by Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on July 30, the order prohibits the manufacture, processing, packing, storage, transportation, distribution, and both wholesale and retail sale of the artificial, non-dairy cottage cheese. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned of strict legal action against violators under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.Any individual or business found selling analogue paneer, while misinterpreting it as authentic dairy cheese will be charged with an unfair trade practice and attempt to mislead consumers.
As concerns grow over adulterated dairy products in the market, here are key differences you should know between analogue paneer and original paneer.
What Is Analogue Paneer?
Analogue paneer is a cheap, fake cheese made from vegetable oil, starch, and very little real milk. It is made by swapping out expensive milk ingredients for low-cost alternatives like palm oil and emulsifiers. While this artificial paneer looks, feels, and cooks just like real paneer, it lacks the essential proteins and healthy nutrients found in actual dairy paneer.
What Is Original Paneer?
On the other hand, original, pure paneer is a fresh, non-melting cheese made by curdling pure cow or buffalo milk with natural food acids like lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt. It has a soft, smooth, and crumbly texture that breaks apart easily without feeling rubbery. It carries a mild, fresh scent and is rich in calcium and protein.
You can tell apart authentic paneer from analogue paneer by performing an iodine or Betadine test.
Steps to perform the test.
Step 1: Take a small 5-gram piece of paneer and boil it for about 5 minutes. The quantity of water should be less.
Step 2: Let the paneer cool completely.
Step 3: Add a few drops of iodine solution or Betadine liquid to the paneer.
Step 4: The final step is checking the colour. If the paneer turns blue or purple, it is a fake analogue paneer containing starch. If the colour remains unchanged, it is authentic dairy paneer.