Now Reading: Madhya Pradesh bans analog paneer over health concerns
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Madhya Pradesh bans analog paneer over health concerns
Madhya Pradesh has banned the production, sale and use of analog paneer, citing health risks and a bid to promote natural dairy products. Chief minister Mohan Yadav announced the decision after a…
The Story in Brief
Madhya Pradesh has banned the production, sale and use of analog paneer, citing health risks and a bid to promote natural dairy products. Chief minister Mohan Yadav announced the decision after a meeting with food and civil supplies department officials, who have ordered inspections of factories and immediate seizure of the product. Around 9,000 to 12,000 quintals of analog paneer are consumed in the state every month, especially in restaurants, a food safety official said.
Madhya Pradesh is the fourth state to impose such a ban, following Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. The National Human Rights Commission has also urged all states to ban analog paneer, calling it hazardous. Analog paneer is a cheaper substitute made with vegetable fats and starch instead of milk or mixed with it. Teams in Indore have already raided a dairy factory and seized 450 kg of paneer.
The Indian Opinion
The ban on analog paneer is a welcome move for public health, but the state has framed it narrowly, as a fight of 'natural dairy versus cheap imitation' without addressing why consumers choose the cheaper option in the first place. Many households have seen real incomes fall, making affordable food a necessity. If the government is serious, it should pair this ban with measures to lower the price of natural paneer and expand milk cooperatives. The test will be whether enforcement is honest or leads to a new market for adulteration.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
