Analogue paneer looks and tastes like regular paneer, but it can be made with vegetable oil, starch and food additives instead of milk. Following checks that found many outlets selling it as real paneer without telling customers, a state-level ban has drawn attention to the issue. Not every analogue product is unsafe if it is made to food safety standards and labelled clearly, but it may offer less protein and more refined fat, sodium and additives than milk-based paneer. People with obesity, fatty liver, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease, as well as children, older adults and vegetarians who rely on paneer for protein, should be extra careful. Always read the label, check the ingredient list and FSSAI licence, buy from trusted sellers and ask whether a restaurant dish uses real paneer.
