Chandigarh, August 28: A statewide ban on analogue non-dairy paneer took effect across Punjab as food safety regulators moved to protect consumers from deceptive labeling practices prior to festive celebrations. Orders issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety instruct enforcement personnel to launch targeted inspections across processing units, retail stores, transit channels, and storage centers.
The regulatory crackdown targets products manufactured using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers, and non-dairy fat substitutes that are deceptively marketed as genuine dairy products.
State officials declared that rigorous surveillance will remain active across urban and rural distribution points to intercept unauthorized inventory before it reaches consumers.
Under the new directives, commercial food businesses, including restaurants, dhabas, and institutional caterers, must maintain strict source records verifying that their paneer stock originates from authorized dairy producers. Violations will result in legal proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Nutritional specialists maintained that genuine paneer supplies essential proteins and calcium, whereas processed analogue versions often introduce excess trans-fats and synthetic additives into consumer diets.
Dietary advisors affirmed that growing children and individuals with cardiovascular conditions require genuine dairy products rather than processed vegetable-oil substitutes.
Monitoring teams plan to maintain heightened field surveillance throughout the holiday season to enforce compliance and prevent adulterated food distribution across state markets.
