New Delhi:
A top government official said on Monday that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is considering issuing guidelines for the need for hotels and restaurants to clearly mention, when they use “analog cheese” in dishes given to customers.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already made it mandatory for manufacturers to labeled analog cheese as “non-dairy” to prevent consumer deception, but these rules are not extended to the food currently prepared in restaurants.
“Analog Paneer looks like traditional cheese and tastes, but it is not cheese. Analog Paneer is cheaper and why not hotels and restaurants do not tell it to consumers,” said Nidi Khare, secretary of consumer affairs. “
Ms. Khare insisted that installations should clearly inform customers whether the dish has traditional or analog cheese and according to them they cost them.
“Not in the name of traditional cheese, they should sell analog cheese,” he said.
Analog Paneer has gained popularity in the commercial kitchen as it costs about half in the form of dairy-based cheese while maintaining a uniform taste and texture.
According to FSSAI rules, an “analog” cheese is a product where the milk components are either completely or partially replaced with non-dairy materials, however, the final product mimics traditional dairy-based cheese.
While traditional cheese is made by pressing fresh milk with acids such as lemon juice or vinegar, analog versions usually contain emulsifiers, starch, and vegetable oils.
These products have raised health concerns about some manufacturers using low quality vegetable oils and other additives.
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