Analogue Paneer:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposed a draft amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, to prohibit the manufacture, marketing, and sale of non-dairy analogue products under the name Paneer.
- Analogue Paneer is a formulated, imitation food product designed to replicate the appearance, taste, texture, and culinary functionality of traditional dairy paneer, in which milk constituents (primarily milk fat and milk protein) are partially or completely replaced by non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats, starches, and plant proteins.
- Replaces natural milk fat with low-cost vegetable fats and pairs them with skimmed milk powder (SMP), soy protein isolates, or caseinates.
- Modified food starches (like potato, maize, or tapioca starch), emulsifiers, and stabilisers are blended under controlled thermal processing to achieve the characteristic firmness and water-binding capacity of cottage cheese.
- Acidulants are introduced to precipitate the blend, followed by mechanical pressing into solid blocks that slice and fry identically to conventional dairy paneer.
