Key Update

The Pune Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified enforcement against food establishments that use cheese analogue products and sell them as paneer, citing violations of food safety regulations. As part of the crackdown, the FDA suspended the licence of Pind Punjab, a restaurant in Pune’s Camp area, following an inspection conducted on June 22.

According to the FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Digambar Bhogawade, officials found that the restaurant was using a cheese analogue in its food preparations. The action follows a directive issued in May by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, requiring hotels and restaurants to clearly disclose the use of analogue paneer and cheese in food items.

FSSAI Warns Against Selling Cheese Analogue as Paneer

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has previously clarified that selling cheese analogues as paneer constitutes a serious violation of food safety laws and must stop immediately. During the inspection, FDA officials found that the product was stored in conditions that violated hygiene and sanitation requirements under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. The team collected a 12-kg sample valued at ₹3,480 for laboratory analysis.

Investigation Traces Supply Chain

Further investigation revealed that Pind Punjab had purchased the cheese analogue from Bansal Dairy in Raviwar Peth, Pune. FDA officials subsequently inspected the dairy and confirmed the sale of the product. They found approximately 3.5 kg of the product, valued at ₹1,693, in stock and seized it while recording regulatory violations. Officials also discovered that the dairy was selling both loose cheese analogue and loose paneer.

Over 225 kg of Products Seized

In total, FDA officials seized around 225 kg of cheese analogue and paneer products worth approximately ₹67,730 during the enforcement drive. The operation was carried out by Food Safety Officer Satish Hake, along with Food Safety Officers Snehal Yenare and Sanket Suryavanshi, under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner (Food) Narayan Sarkate and Joint Commissioner (Food) Digambar Bhogawade.

FDA Urges Transparency for Consumers

Bhogawade said the FDA has observed that some restaurants, hotels, dairies and fast-food outlets use cheese analogue products without clearly informing consumers through labels, menus, display boards or product descriptions. He reiterated that food business operators must not substitute cheese analogues for paneer or cheese in a manner that misleads consumers and stressed the importance of transparency in food labelling and menu declarations.

Source: The Indian Express