The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has published a draft amendment that would restrict the use of the name ‘Paneer’ for products made from constituents not derived from milk. The proposal was published in the Official Gazette on 23 September 2026 and publicised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through the Press Information Bureau on 24 September. It remains a draft regulation open to objections and suggestions, not a final rule in force. [1] [2]
The proposed change targets products licensed or registered under the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category. If the amendment is finalised in its present form, those products would have to discontinue the word ‘Paneer’ in their nomenclature, labelling and marketing. The official material does not announce an immediate ban, recall or deadline for changing packaging. The 60-day period is a consultation stage before the draft is considered. [1] [2]
Key points
- FSSAI proposes to add a clause covering “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk” to the 2011 sales regulations. [2]
- The stated policy aim is to prevent consumers from being misled about a product’s nature and composition. [1] [2]
- Products already licensed or registered as ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ would be required to stop using ‘Paneer’ in nomenclature, labelling or marketing if the text is adopted. [1] [2]
- Objections and suggestions may be sent to FSSAI during the period ending 60 days after copies of the Gazette notification are made available to the public. [1] [2]
- The proposal is not yet a final regulation, so its wording, scope and implementation position may change after consultation. [1] [2]
What the draft would change
The draft is framed as an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It proposes inserting a new clause, numbered 2.1.1(12), covering “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk.” The wording appears in the Gazette notification issued by FSSAI with the previous approval of the Central Government under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. [2]
The accompanying explanation is specific about the intended application. Products already licensed or registered under the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category would have to discontinue the use of the term “Paneer” in three places: their nomenclature, their labelling or their marketing. In practical terms, the proposal addresses how the product is represented to the market, rather than announcing a general prohibition on every non-milk food that resembles paneer. [1] [2]
The draft therefore concerns the name and presentation of a defined category of products. It does not state that every product currently sold with a paneer reference has already become non-compliant. Nor does the published notice set out a final replacement name, a transition period or a packaging-disposal process. Those details cannot be treated as settled on the evidence currently available. [1] [2]
Why FSSAI has opened the consultation
FSSAI says the amendment is intended to restrict the manufacture and sale of analogue products as “Paneer” so that consumers are not misled about their nature and composition. The authority’s stated rationale is that nomenclature and presentation should accurately reflect what a food product is made of and enable informed consumer choices. [1]
The Gazette describes the notice as a draft published for the information of people likely to be affected. That publication is part of the rulemaking process under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It is not the same as a final notification that has completed consideration of public comments and taken effect. [2]
Consultation timing and submission process
The Gazette says the draft regulations will be taken into consideration after 60 days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the notification are made available to the public. It also says objections or suggestions received before the end of that period will be considered by FSSAI. [2]
The notice identifies the addressee as the Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, at FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi–110002. It also provides the email address regulation@fssai.gov.in for submissions. The PIB release repeats that objections and suggestions can be sent through the channel specified in the notification. [1] [2]
Likely label implications if adopted
For a product covered by the proposal, the most direct implication would be the removal of “Paneer” from the product’s name, label and marketing claims. A manufacturer would then need to use a description that complies with the final regulation and any other applicable food-labelling requirements. The draft itself does not prescribe that substitute wording. [1] [2]
The draft also does not state an immediate enforcement date or explain how existing stock would be handled. It would therefore be inaccurate to tell consumers or businesses that all current packaging must change immediately. Any compliance timetable, treatment of inventory and enforcement approach would need to be established by the final regulatory text or an accompanying direction. [1] [2]
What is verified and what is not yet final
The verified development is the publication of a draft amendment and the opening of a formal opportunity for objections and suggestions. The proposed clause and the stated restriction for the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category are set out in the Gazette and summarised in the PIB release. [1] [2]
What is not verified is adoption of the proposal in its current wording. Consultation responses may lead to changes, clarification or a decision not to proceed. The official material supplied for this report does not provide a final notification, an enforcement circular, a transition schedule or a list of approved alternative names. [1] [2]
It is also important not to collapse the terms “analogue” and “adulterated.” The draft is about products made from constituents not derived from milk and how they are represented under the specified category. The notices do not make a finding that every such product is unsafe, nor do they provide a medical assessment. The central regulatory concern stated by FSSAI is accurate representation of nature and composition. [1] [2]
What happens next
The immediate next step is the consultation period. FSSAI is to receive and consider objections or suggestions submitted before the specified 60-day period expires. After that process, the authority may issue a final amendment, revise the language or take another procedural decision. The present documents do not establish which outcome will follow. [2]
Manufacturers and sellers following the matter should distinguish between the current draft and any later final notification. They can compare the final text with the proposal for changes to the covered category, the prohibited uses of “Paneer,” the effective date and any arrangements for products already on the market. Until such a notification is issued, the proposal should be described as a consultation-stage labelling measure rather than an effective prohibition. [1] [2]
