Why did Zomato ban analog paneer? What it is and how it harms your healthy body | Explained

A paneer dish ordered at a restaurant usually comes with one simple expectation: the soft white cubes are made from milk. But that doesn’t always have to be the case.

On its platform, Zomato has asked restaurants to stop using analogue milk products and directed them to replace these products with natural milk products or remove the affected dishes from their menus.

The platform also asked restaurant partners to review supplier labels and ingredient statements, raising questions about what customers were actually being served.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

Analog paneer is a dairy product that mimics traditional paneer in appearance and texture, but replaces some or all of the dairy ingredients with non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable oils, vegetable proteins, and emulsifiers.

Zomato has banned analogue dairy products to ensure that customers get food accurately represented as natural dairy products, protect health and promote transparency in food labelling.

Eating analogue paneer is not necessarily dangerous; however, its nutritional profile may differ from traditional paneer, and the concern is potential misinformation for consumers.

Consumers can identify analogue paneer by checking ingredient lists for non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable fats and starches, as relying on appearance alone can be misleading.

Yes, restaurants are required to replace the analogue paneer with natural dairy products or remove the affected dishes from their menus to comply with Zomato’s zero tolerance policy.

But what exactly is analogue paneer? Is it the same as the “fake paneer” much discussed online? And does its consumption necessarily mean the consumption of something unhealthy?

So, what is analogue paneer?

Analogue paneer is made to resemble traditional paneer in appearance and texture, but some or all of its dairy components may be replaced with non-dairy ingredients.

Read also | Analog paneer: How is it different from regular paneer? Price difference, home tests

Depending on the composition, they may include vegetable oils or fats, starches, vegetable proteins, emulsifiers and stabilizers. The exact composition may vary from product to product.

In other words, two cubes of paneer can look almost identical on the plate, while being made completely differently.

This is also why simply calling analogue paneer ‘fake paneer’ can be misleading. An analogue product is not automatically a counterfeit product. What matters is what it contains, whether it meets the applicable food safety requirements and whether consumers are clearly informed about it.

Read also | Karnataka’s one-year ban on ‘analog paneer’: Does it apply to frozen desserts?

How is traditional paneer different?

Paneer, which most Indians are familiar with, is a milk-based dairy product.

It is generally made by heating milk and adding an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice, vinegar, or another permitted acidulant. The milk is separated into curds and whey, then the curds are collected, pressed and allowed to solidify.

This is the paneer commonly used in dishes like palak paneer, matar paneer, shahi paneer and paneer tikka.

Why did Zomato take this step?

Zomat’s decision is all about what restaurants tell customers about the food they serve.

A person who orders paneer can expect a conventional milk paneer. Restaurants using analogue dairy products have therefore been asked to either switch to natural dairy products or remove the respective dishes from Zomat.

The platform also asked restaurants to verify supplier labels and ingredient declarations.

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This issue also attracts the attention of regulatory authorities. FSSAI emphasized on appropriate identification of products manufactured using dairy analogues so that consumers are not misled about what they are buying or eating.

Is analog paneer dangerous?

Not necessarily.

Being an analog product does not automatically mean it is dangerous or unhealthy. Its safety depends on the ingredients used, the production process and compliance with applicable food safety standards.

However, its nutritional profile may differ from traditional milk paneer. Some preparations may contain vegetable proteins, while others may use vegetable fats, starches or other ingredients.

The bigger problem is when a product made with non-dairy ingredients is presented in such a way that customers believe they are getting conventional dairy products.

What happened in Maharashtra?

The problem has also led to regulatory action. Maharashtra recently announced a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of artificial or analogue panels following a drive in which several samples failed to meet the prescribed standards.

How can consumers tell the difference?

For packaged paneer, check the product name and ingredient list rather than relying on its appearance.

Additives such as vegetable oils or fats, starches and vegetable proteins may indicate that you are looking at a formulated alternative rather than a conventional dairy paneer.

Restaurants are trickier because customers may not have access to a full list of ingredients. Therefore, accurate menu descriptions and vendor statements are important.

Ultimately, Zomat’s move raises a straightforward consumer question: when a dish looks like paneer, do you know what it’s actually made of?