Why analogue paneer is booming in India — and why states are cracking down

For years, analogue paneer has been quietly making its way into restaurant kitchens, catering units and roadside eateries as a cheaper substitute to traditional milk-based paneer. Most consumers never knew the difference, because it looked similar, cooked similar and was often sold under the same name. But a series of raids and lab tests in Gujarat and Maharashtra have now raised what was once considered a labelling issue to one of India’s biggest food safety debates.The recent bans in Gujarat and Maharashtra signal a dramatic shift in the way governments are responding to food adulteration, a clear indication that authorities are no longer willing to treat analogue paneer as just a regulatory violation but as a consumer protection issue.Also read: Maharashtra, Gujarat ban non-dairy paneerThe crackdown did not come overnightThat was after months of aggressive enforcement in Gujarat that exposed the scale of the problem.