Summary: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2026, to restrict the manufacture and sale of analogue products as paneer and prevent misleading consumers regarding the nature and composition of such products. The draft notification dated September 22, 2026, issued under Section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, proposes insertion of a new clause in regulation 2.1, sub-regulation 2.1.1 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, namely “paneer made of constituents not derived from milk.” Products already licensed or registered under the “Analogue in Dairy Context” category would be required to discontinue use of the term “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has invited objections and suggestions from affected persons, which are to be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, at the specified address or email. The draft regulations will be considered after expiry of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the notification are made available to the public. The proposal is issued by the Chief Executive Officer, Rajit Punhani, and also records that the principal 2011 regulations were last amended by notification dated May 23, 2026.
FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 22nd September, 2026
F. No. RCD-15001/1/2024-Regulatory-FSSAI.—The following draft of certain regulations, further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposes to make with the previous approval of the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub- section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), is hereby published as required by sub-section (1) thereof, for the information of all persons likely to be affected thereby; and notice is hereby given that the said draft regulations shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of a period of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette in which this notification is published are made available to the public.
The amendment is proposed in the following regulation to restrict manufacturing and sale of analogue product as paneer so as to prevent misleading of consumer’s regarding the nature and composition of the product. Products already licensed or registered under ‘Analogue in Dairy Context’ category shall discontinue the use of the term “Paneer” in their nomenclature, labelling or marketing.
Objections or suggestions, if any, may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi- 110002 or sent on email at [email protected]
Objections or suggestions, which may be received from any person with respect to the said draft regulations before the expiry of the period so specified, shall be considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority.
Draft Regulations
1. These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2026.
2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011,
a. in regulation 2.1, in sub-regulation 2.1.1, after clause (11), the following clause shall be inserted, namely: –
“(12) paneer made of constituents not derived from milk.”
RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./342/2026-27]
Note. – The principal regulations were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary vide notification number F. No. 2-15015/30/2010, dated the 1st August, 2011 and last amended vide notification number F.No. SS-T0FA(NOTI)/3/2024-Standard-FSSAI, dated 23rd May, 2026.
