CLAIM:

A viral video says "analogue paneer" is made by mixing milk powder with oils to mimic real paneer

FACT :

It is true. The FSSAI defines analogue paneer as safe, though it’s not the same as traditional paneer

Recent social media claims about the production of authentic and synthetic paneer have raised concerns among consumers about food authenticity and safety. A viral video on analogue paneer posted on YouTube on October 20, 2024 has close to 45,000 views. Released by a channel named All About Nutrition with a follower count of 415,000, the influencer in the video says that while real paneer is made from milk, its analogue equivalent is made from “refined oil plus milk powder.” 

“What companies do is, they mix milk powder in palm oil or refined sunflower oil or even dalda i.e. hydrogenated vegetable fats," the influencer explains. 

On other social media platforms too, users are talking about analogue paneer, such as this post on X with more than 161,000 views.

India loves paneer dishes and restaurants sell fake paneer made with vegetable oils without any disclaimer

They made you believe that you are eating healthy food by eating varieties of paneer dishes over junk food

This is being sold on website of Zomato for restaurants pic.twitter.com/GJh3dspiy3

— Sumit Behal (@sumitkbehal) October 20, 2024

So, what is the fact

The regulatory guidelines  of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI  explicitly state that all milk products when "compositionally altered by way of substitution of their major milk constituents (milk fat, milk protein) with non-milk constituents (e.g. vegetable oil / fat, vegetable protein)" are classified as analogues.

While authentic paneer is made exclusively from milk, analogue paneer substitutes milk constituents with non-dairy alternatives. 

Under FSSAI regulations, if milk constituents are substituted either partially or completely, the product label must clearly specify the constituents and their source.

FSSAI rules for analogue dairy and other products

• • • Only authentic dairy products can use the Milk Logo
    • Analogue products must explicitly declare non-dairy constituents
    • Analogue products cannot use dairy terminology in their names
    • All analogue products must be licensed under "General Manufacturing"
    • Labels must clearly indicate if the product is an analogue

Also, the FSSAI specifically states that "analogues are not recognized as dairy products under the regulations" and cannot use dairy terminology in their nomenclature or display the official milk logo reserved for authentic dairy products.

The regulations require that "dairy analogues for which no identity standards have been specified in the regulations shall declare on their labels the word 'Analogue' along with food category number under which the product is licensed."

The video's description of analogue paneer production aligns with official regulatory definitions. Consumers can rely on mandatory labeling requirements to identify authentic versus analogue paneer products.

The FSSAI regulations ensure that both authentic and analogue products can be legally sold in India, providing consumers with the information needed to make informed choices.

Also read: https://firstcheck.in/fact-check-has-aiims-said-eating-hot-foods-from-plastic-containers-leads-to-cancer/

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