Fake paneer sold as the real thing
Analogue paneer, made with vegetable oil and starch instead of milk fat, is sold and served as paneer. In Maharashtra, 109 of 308 paneer and analogue samples tested in 2025-26 failed food standards, and 30 were unsafe to eat.
Open for ideas, evidence and questions.
What we know
Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration tested 308 samples of paneer and dairy analogues between April 2025 and March 2026. 109 (35.4%) failed: 79 were substandard and 30 unsafe. Inspectors found hotels, restaurants and caterers serving analogue paneer without telling customers.
On 30 July 2026 Maharashtra banned making and selling analogue paneer for a year. Chhattisgarh acted earlier, and Karnataka and Telangana followed. On 22 September 2026 FSSAI proposed a national rule that would stop products made from non-milk ingredients from being called paneer. They could still be sold under another name. The draft is open for comments for 60 days.
Open questions
- How many paneer samples did your district test last year, and how many failed?
- Does a restaurant near you say whether its paneer is made from milk, and how would a diner know?
- What happens to a seller after a sample fails, such as a fine, a closure or a prosecution?
- Why is analogue paneer so common, and is it milk prices, margins or weak testing?
- How many food-testing labs and food-safety officers does your state have for its population?
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