NHRC issues notices to states, FSSAI over ‘analogue paneer’

The NHRC has issued notices to all states, Union Territories and FSSAI over concerns surrounding ‘analogue paneer’, seeking clarity on its nutritional value, labelling and regulation. It also questioned the need for allowing such products amid restrictions in three states

New Delhi: The NHRC has issued notices to all states and UTs, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in the wake of a complaint raising concerns over the manufacturing, sale and consumption of ‘analogue paneer’.

The Commission said it considers it necessary for the FSSAI to clarify the nutritional composition and nutritional value of ‘analogue paneer’, including its protein, fat and other relevant nutritional parameters, and whether such information is adequately disclosed to consumers, reads a case proceedings dated August 13.

---

‘Analogue paneer’ refers to an imitation of traditional dairy paneer. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sought clarification as to why the manufacture, regulation and sale of such products are considered necessary, particularly when three states have reportedly already imposed restrictions or prohibitions on ‘analogue paneer.’ Further, what nutritional or consumer benefit is being sought by allowing its manufacturing and the sale to continue, the human rights body asked.

The present matter has arisen from a representation and report dated August 11 submitted by the Advanced Study Institute of Asia (ASIA), Centre for Health Equity, concerning the manufacture, sale, supply, use, labelling, testing and regulatory enforcement relating to dairy analogues, particularly products being sold, supplied or served as “analogue paneer” or as paneer.

The representation raises issues concerning consumer protection, food safety, transparency in nomenclature and labelling, consistency of enforcement across states and Union Territories, and the adequacy of existing mechanisms to enable consumers to “distinguish between milk-derived paneer and dairy analogues,” reads the proceedings.

The Commission has also taken note of the accompanying report titled ‘Analogue Paneer in India: A Food-Systems Threat to Health Equity’, published by the Centre for Health Equity, Advanced Study Institute of Asia.

The briefing note records that FSSAI allegedly “recognises” dairy analogues as products in which non-milk constituents replace some or all milk constituents and states that such products are “not milk, milk products or composite milk products”.

It further raises questions concerning the continued use of the term ‘paneer’ in the nomenclature of such products and the adequacy of existing disclosure requirements, the proceedings add.

The report further records that ‘analogue paneer’ may involve ingredients including vegetable oils or fats, starches, milk solids, plant proteins, stabilisers, emulsifiers and artificial flavours, and that the resulting product may have a nutritional profile different from conventional paneer.

The Commission is further of the view that, where a food product is permitted under the regulatory framework, the regulatory authorities must nevertheless ensure that its identity, composition and nature are adequately disclosed and that consumers are not misled into believing that a non-dairy analogue is conventional milk-derived paneer, reads the proceedings.