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Mundhe Hailed for Paneer Crackdown: FSSAI Draft Targets Fake Dairy Labels
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News18•25-09-2026, 16:42
Mundhe Hailed for Paneer Crackdown: FSSAI Draft Targets Fake Dairy Labels
- •FSSAI's draft rule aims to prevent non-dairy analogues from using the "paneer" label, with netizens crediting Maharashtra FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe for the initiative.
- •The FSSAI draft, open for public feedback, only bars products already registered as "Analogue in Dairy Context" from using the "paneer" name, not a nationwide ban.
- •Several states, including Maharashtra, had already banned the manufacture and sale of analogue paneer outright for a year, preceding the FSSAI's central move.
- •Mundhe's high-visibility enforcement in Maharashtra, backed by lab data showing 35.4% of samples failed standards, spurred other states like Telangana and Karnataka to implement similar bans.
- •Zomato has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on analogue dairy dishes, delisting items flagged as fake paneer, aligning with the broader crackdown across eight states.
Key Questions Answered
The FSSAI's draft amendment regulations bar products registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category from using the word “paneer” in their name, labelling, or marketing. The draft is currently open for public feedback for a 60-day window.
Violators of Maharashtra's ban face up to six months in jail and a Rs 1 lakh fine. Additionally, the state's food law allows for life imprisonment and a minimum Rs 10 lakh fine if unsafe food causes death.
Eight states have banned fake paneer in some form, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.
