The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a draft amendment aimed at restricting the use of the term “Paneer” for products that are not made from milk-derived constituents.
The draft Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2026 was published on September 24. It proposes inserting a new provision under Regulation 2.1.1 of the existing regulations specifically dealing with paneer made from constituents not derived from milk.
Under the proposed framework, products already licensed or registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category would not be permitted to use “Paneer” in their product names, labelling or marketing if they do not meet the proposed requirement.
The move is intended to make the composition and identity of such products clearer to consumers and prevent products made with non-milk ingredients from being presented as conventional paneer.
The proposal comes as food regulators continue to focus on standards, labelling and consumer information for milk and dairy products. FSSAI’s regulatory division is responsible for developing and amending food-safety regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
As the notification is still in draft form, the proposed changes are subject to the regulatory process and stakeholder feedback before any final amendment is notified. The official FSSAI notification lists the September 24 draft specifically as a proposal concerning restrictions on paneer made from constituents not derived from milk.
