Fake paneer alert: Delhi High Court seeks FSSAI, Centre’s reply on analogue paneer
PTC Web Desk: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Central Government and the Delhi administration to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) over the sale of dairy analogue products as paneer.
The petition argues that diners often have no way of knowing whether the paneer dish on their plate is made from real milk or from a substitute. Paneer is a standardised dairy product under India’s food safety framework, the petitioners said, while analogue versions use non-milk ingredients and do not offer the same nutrition.
Also Read | After weeks of distance, Rahul Gandhi publicly stands with CJP, says 'Waving tricolour is not a crime'
Right to know what you eat
The plea also asks the court to direct the authorities to make hotels, restaurants, caterers, eateries, cloud kitchens and online food businesses clearly disclose when analogue or non-dairy substitutes are used in their food.
The petitioners were careful to say the issue is not the existence of such products, but how they are presented. “A consumer who knowingly purchases a product correctly disclosed as an analogue or non-dairy substitute makes an informed choice,” the petition said. It added, however, that someone who orders paneer is entitled to get a product that meets the legal definition, rather than one in which milk constituents have quietly been replaced with vegetable fat, vegetable oil or other non-milk substances.
Six weeks to respond
A Bench headed by acting Chief Justice Nitin W Sambre, along with Justice Sanjay Singh, issued notice on the petition filed by Ridhima Singh and Avlokiteshwar Padmapani Sidharth. The FSSAI, the Centre and the Delhi government have been given six weeks to file their replies.
With the festive season approaching and demand for paneer typically on the rise, the petitioners sought urgent directions for sampling and testing of paneer and paneer-labelled products across the market. The Bench, however, indicated that this was not needed at this stage, observing that the authorities were already carrying out such checks and had placed related figures before the court.
The petition also points out that Gujarat, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have already moved against non-dairy paneer. It urges the court to direct authorities in the capital to stop the manufacture, supply, sale and service of dairy analogue paneer being passed off as the real thing.
- PTC NEWS
