MP Prepares To Ban Analogue Paneer After Maharashtra And Gujarat; Here's How To Check If Yours Is Authentic

Madhya Pradesh: Following the footsteps of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the Madhya Pradesh government is preparing to ban the production, sale, and use of synthetic 'analogue paneer'. The state's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prepared a proposal after receiving widespread complaints about fake paneer being sold as real paneer in markets, hotels, and restaurants.

Investigation Reveals Widespread Fraud In Paneer Sales

An investigation by the Madhya Pradesh Food Safety Department revealed that several vendors and restaurant owners were deceiving customers by replacing pure milk paneer with significantly cheaper vegetable fat-based substitutes, Naidunia reported.

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Minister's Approval Awaited For Ban

Under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI), the Food Safety Commissioner has the authority to ban substandard food items in the interest of public health. The proposal prepared by the department has been sent to the relevant minister for approval. Once the minister's approval is received, a complete ban on analogue paneer will be implemented in Madhya Pradesh.

Maharashtra, Gujarat Enforce Strict Bans On Analogue Paneer

Analogue paneer has recently been completely banned in Maharashtra and Gujarat, where authorities are conducting continuous product confiscations. The Gujarat government has even formed a special task force to monitor markets and take action following the ban.

What Is Analogue Paneer?

Pure paneer is fresh, non-melting cheese made by curdling pure cow or buffalo milk with natural food acids like lemon juice, vinegar, or yoghurt. On the other hand, analogue paneer is a cheap, fake cheese made from vegetable oil, starch, and very little real milk. It is made by swapping out expensive milk ingredients for low-cost alternatives like palm oil and emulsifiers.

You can tell authentic paneer apart from analogue paneer by performing an iodine or Betadine test.

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Step 1: Take a small 5-gram piece of paneer and boil it for about 5 minutes. The quantity of water should be less.

Step 2: Let the paneer cool completely.

Step 3: Add a few drops of iodine solution or Betadine liquid to the paneer.

Step 4: The final step is checking the colour. If the paneer turns blue or purple, it is a fake analogue paneer containing starch. If the colour remains unchanged, it is authentic dairy paneer.