The Commissioner of Meals Security, Punjab, issued the unique Prohibition Order (No. Meals(Pb)/2026/1406) on August 20, 2026, invoking Part 30(2)(a) of the Meals Security and Requirements Act, 2006, which empowers the Commissioner of Meals Security to ban, within the curiosity of public well being, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of meals both in the entire state or a specified space for a interval not exceeding one yr.
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This was adopted up with a compliance letter dated August 25, 2026, from the Joint Commissioner, Meals Security, Punjab, directing all Designated Officers (Meals Security) and Meals Security Officers within the state to strictly implement the order.
The order notes that a number of Meals Enterprise Operators (FBOs) have been discovered manufacturing a paneer-like product utilizing vegetable oil or fats and different non-dairy elements as a substitute of milk, and advertising and marketing or promoting it below the “paneer” label, misrepresenting it as the real dairy product to shoppers.
Officers cited Regulation 2.1.16 of the Meals Security and Requirements (Meals Merchandise Requirements and Meals Components) Laws, 2011, which lays down the usual for chhana and paneer, each of that are required to be made out of milk or milk merchandise. Analogue paneer made with vegetable fats or oil doesn’t meet this normal and can’t legally be bought as “paneer.”
As per the directive, Designated Officers and Meals Security Officers throughout Punjab have been requested to conduct common and shock inspections of dairy items, paneer manufacturing items, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, chilly shops and warehouses. They’ve additionally been instructed to confirm car and transport information used for transferring paneer consignments, and to examine the supply and buy information of paneer being utilized by lodges, eating places, dhabas, caterers, institutional kitchens and different food-service institutions.Additionally learn: Festive season alert: In Ghaziabad, 868 kg paneer & 170 kg khoya destroyed amid adulteration concerns
The order additional states that if any FBO is discovered violating the prohibition by manufacturing, storing, transporting, distributing or promoting analogue or non-dairy paneer below the “paneer” title, strict and speedy authorized motion can be initiated below the Meals Security and Requirements Act, 2006, and its accompanying rules. The letter has been marked as “extraordinarily pressing,” officers mentioned.
Complaints about adulterated or artificial paneer being bought out there forward of festive and marriage ceremony seasons are frequent throughout a number of states, with meals security authorities periodically flagging vegetable-fat-based substitutes being handed off as dairy paneer.
Underneath FSSAI norms, real paneer have to be ready completely from milk or milk merchandise, and any product utilizing vegetable oils, starch or different non-dairy fillers as a substitute is legally labeled as an “analogue” and can’t be bought below the paneer title with out being clearly labelled as such.
Well being specialists have flagged such substitutes for missing the protein content material of actual paneer and, in some adulterated instances, containing detergents or different dangerous components.
(With inputs from ANI)
