NEW DELHI: In a move to curb misleading marketing of analogue products as ‘paneer,’ the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a ban on the use of ‘paneer’ term for non-milk-derived products.
The draft amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, aims to restrict the manufacture and sale of analogue products as ‘paneer’ and prevent consumers from being misled about the nature and composition of such products.
The draft amendment seeks to insert a new clause under Regulation 2.1.1 of the existing regulations, specifically covering “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk.”
Under the proposed amendment, products already licensed or registered under the ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category would be required to discontinue the use of the term “paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing.
The proposed amendment is aimed at ensuring that the nomenclature and presentation of food products accurately reflect their nature and composition, thereby enabling consumers to make informed choices, officials said.
As the notification is a draft regulation, FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders and members of the public.
The draft regulations will be taken into consideration after the expiry of 60 days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the notification are made available to the public, officials added.
Officials further said that objections or suggestions may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) or submitted through the email address specified in the notification.
The proposed amendment has been issued by FSSAI with the previous approval of the central government under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The principal Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations were notified in 2011 and have been amended from time to time.