Is that paneer? Not really

A viral video of YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva, who runs a popular food review series, recently panned Torii, Gauri Khan’s Pan-Asian restaurant in Mumbai’s plush Pali Hill, for serving fake paneer. Even as the high-end restaurant stood by the quality of its product — claiming that the use of iodine tincture to test its ‘paneer’ was not applicable due to the presence of soy — the controversy has opened a can of worms.Is the paneer on your plate real or is it analogue or fake paneer? This question has raised many eyebrows. Sample testing of paneer by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) across the country has revealed high amounts of adulteration. Last week, in Ludhiana, 16 out of 29 paneer samples were found unsafe for consumption. Routine sample checks from April 2024 to March 2025 in Noida and Greater Noida revealed that more than 83 per cent had failed to meet the required safety standards while 40 per cent were deemed unfit for human consumption. Similarly, out of the 163 paneer samples collected in Karnataka in March, only four have been cleared so far. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation reportedly seized 1,500 kg of fake paneer at multiple eateries, while 1,400 kg of adulterated paneer, made from glycerol monostearate powder, palm oil and skimmed milk powder, was seized from a warehouse in Pune. Analogue paneer, which is flooding the market, is a non-dairy substitute that mimics the dairy paneer in looks, shape and texture. This fake variant is prepared with vegetable oils, starches and additives.“It is an open theft. If you are paying for paneer, you should get it. Paneer should have nothing but milk,” says Rupinder Singh Sodhi, president of the Indian Dairy Association.The guidelines for paneer, as specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards, require a minimum of 50 per cent fat on a dry matter basis. Thus, for every 100 gm of dry paneer, there should be at least 50 gm of fat. “In the manufacturing of paneer, maximum cost is that of dairy fat. Replacing this dairy fat with cheap palmolein or other refined oils brings down the cost of ‘paneer’ by at least five times. The increasing demand for this fake/analogue variant, being sold as a dairy product, is affecting the Rs 40,000-crore paneer industry. When a fake product is being sold, the sufferer is not just the consumer but also the manufacturer of the genuine product.”Adulterated paneer can include substances like cheap palm oil, starch, synthetic milk, urea, caustic soda, detergent and even harmful chemicals like formalin, which can pose significant health risks.The fact that adulterated and analogue paneer is being openly sold is worrying news for a country where most vegetarians rely on paneer for their protein and calcium requirements, says Dr Nancy Sahni, Chief Dietician at PGIMER. “Eating fake or adulterated paneer can irrevocably harm the gut. Particularly vulnerable are children and youngsters, who often eat out at small eateries or order food through delivery services like Zomato and Swiggy,” she says. While homemade paneer is the safest bet, points out Dr Sahni, the only other option should be buying packaged paneer. “One could also explore other protein sources like soya, tofu, nutri nuggets and moong dal sprouts to fulfil the nutritional requirements.”As per the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, India is the leading milk-producing country in the world. The Rs 14 lakh crore dairy industry accounts for more than 19 per cent of the global market share. Market analyst IMARC valued the paneer market at Rs 64,000 crore in 2024 and projected its growth at a compound annual growth rate of 12.85 per cent from 2025-2033.Interestingly, the sale of analogue or fake paneer is not illegal as long as it is not labelled as dairy paneer. On April 16, the FSSAI issued a consultation paper on compliance with the provisions of ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’, inviting comments from stakeholders on, among other things, its nomenclature, label declaration, etc. According to FSSAI regulations, “Analogue in the dairy context means a product in which constituents not derived from milk take the place, in part or in whole, of any milk constituent(s) and the final product resembles, organoleptically and/or functionally, milk or milk product or composite milk product as defined in these regulations.”Says Sodhi, “It is good that the FSSAI is taking note of the issue. The question here is why in the first place should analogue or fake paneer be even referred to as paneer? Just as the term ‘ice cream’ is not allowed to be used for frozen desserts made from hydrogenated oils, similarly, ‘paneer’ should not be used for analogue or fake variants.”“It is essential to generate consumer awareness regarding the quality of paneer in the market. Exemplary punishment should be imposed on those selling adulterated variants in the name of genuine paneer. Big players need to be made accountable. After all, food safety is a serious matter,” he adds.Handy tipsDr Nancy Sahni, Chief Dietician, PGI Chandigarh, suggests some home tests to differentiate analogue paneer from dairy paneer:1. Boil a piece of paneer, let it cool down. Add a few drops of iodine tincture. If the colour turns blue, it’ll indicate the presence of starch in the product, thus making the quality of paneer questionable.2. When paneer is put in boiling water, it will soften. However, the fake variant will remain intact.3. Dairy paneer has a fresh, milky taste, while the analogue or adulterated variant may feel chewy.FSSAI responseIn response to queries from The Tribune, the FSSAI has shared that through its regional offices and all the Food Safety Commissioners of states/UTs, it conducts regular surveillance, monitoring, inspections, random sampling & analysis food products, including milk and milk products, throughout the year. In case of any non-compliance and violation, appropriate and stringent regulatory actions are taken against the defaulting Food Business Operators as per the provisions under the FSS Act, 2006, it said.Below are the details of enforcement samples analysed and action taken by the FSSAI against the defaulting food business operators for non-compliance in milk & milk products, in the past 3 years: No of Cases LaunchedNo of ConvictionsPenalties Raised (In Rs.)YearNo of Samples AnalysedNo. of samples found Unsafe, Substandard or MisleadingCivilCriminalCivilCriminalCivilCriminal2023-2441,08014,60712,4768128,5579234,66,53,76916,49,5002022-2339,09114,5509,5947876,95320022,27,91,50015,32,0002021-2265,55527,03519,4612,55513,30018840,97,18,85013,84,000 According to the FSSAI, it has already taken cognisance of the matter related to sale of dairy analogue in the name of paneer. "The FSSAI, under its National Annual Surveillance plan, conducted a dedicated surveillance sampling across the country on ‘Paneer and Dairy analogue’ during the month of February 2025. Additionally, to make industry aware regarding the usage and labelling of dairy analogue products, the FSSAI is regularly conducting stakeholder’s meetings with different sectors," the statement said.While the FSSAI is taking the steps needed, there's still a long way to go. Regulators, businesses, and consumers need to step up and ensure that the standards are met.

Is that paneer? Not really

Seema Sachdeva

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