AI generated image, used only for representational purposeGujarat has prohibited the production and sale of analogue paneer, cheese and butter, health minister Praful Pansheriya announced on Wednesday, as states step up action against non-dairy substitutes.The decision comes after Maharashtra imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of analogue, or non-dairy, paneer over public health concerns and repeated violations of food safety norms. Maharashtra became the second state after Chhattisgarh to introduce such a ban.Analogue paneer is a non-dairy substitute made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat. It is cheaper to produce than conventional paneer and generally contains lower protein levels.Why Maharashtra imposed the banThe Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said inspections found that several hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food establishments were serving analogue paneer as conventional paneer without informing consumers through menus, invoices or display boards. It warned that passing off analogue paneer as dairy paneer amounts to an unfair trade practice under the Food Safety and Standards Act and would attract penal action.Following its findings, Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe issued a gazette notification prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, preparation, packing, storage, distribution, wholesale and retail sale, as well as offering for sale, of analogue paneer across the state.The ban is limited to one year as the Food Safety and Standards Act allows such prohibitory orders only for that duration, an FDA official told PTI."The law itself has a provision of banning such items for one year only. As per our information, analogue paneer has very low nutritional value. But there is no legal support for us to put a complete ban on such types of paneer," the official said.FDA findings and penaltiesThe Maharashtra FDA said the decision followed a year-long surveillance and enforcement drive, which found that routine inspections, sampling and awareness campaigns had failed to stop the sale of analogue paneer.It said 35.4 per cent of the samples analysed during the exercise did not conform to prescribed standards, indicating that existing enforcement measures and labelling requirements were inadequate to protect consumers.The agency also found that analogue paneer was frequently transported and sold without original packaging, mandatory labels, invoices, batch identification or traceability documents, making it difficult to establish its source.The FDA said penalties would depend on the extent of harm caused. Those found violating the law could face punishment ranging from six months' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh to life imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh in cases where consumption of unsafe food results in death.BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute, who had raised the issue in the Maharashtra legislature and demanded a ban on analogue paneer, welcomed the government's decision and described it as a pioneering step to protect consumer health.He also urged the government to scrutinise the sale of cheese analogues, alleging that consumers were being misled when such products were marketed or sold as conventional cheese.