NHRC Seeks FSSAI Clarity on Analogue Paneer Regulations and Safety Standards
NEW DELHI — The National Human Rights Commission has sought detailed information from food safety authorities regarding how analogue paneer products are regulated, tested, and sold across India, citing growing concerns over their composition and nutritional value.
The intervention by the human rights body comes shortly after Madhya Pradesh banned the sale and use of analogue paneer, following similar bans enforced in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.
The NHRC took cognisance of multiple issues surrounding the manufacture, licensing, sale, and consumption of analogue paneer. Key concerns highlighted by the commission include the product's actual composition, nutritional value, overall food safety, and the protection of consumers' right to accurate information.
According to the NHRC, the Bench is examining the regulatory and nutritional justification for permitting a product that is substantially different from conventional milk-derived paneer to be manufactured and sold as a paneer substitute.
The Commission has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to clarify the regulatory status of analogue paneer, its permissible composition, potential health concerns, nutritional implications, applicable standards, and testing methodologies.
The Bench has also asked for clarification regarding scientific methods used to distinguish traditional milk-derived paneer from imitation products containing vegetable oils, fats, and other non-milk ingredients. Specifically, the commission requested information on the relevance of beta-sitosterol as a testing parameter for detecting analogue paneer.
In addition to the queries directed at the food safety regulator, Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories have been instructed to submit information regarding the manufacture, supply, sale, and serving of analogue paneer within their jurisdictions. The authorities must also provide details of inspections, sampling procedures, detected violations, and subsequent enforcement actions.
