To protect consumer rights and enhance transparency, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed sweeping regulatory changes for the sale, labelling, and licensing of dairy analogue products — plant-based or synthetic alternatives that mimic traditional dairy.
The draft amendments now open for public feedback for 60 days from April 16, come in the wake of media reports highlighting the misleading sale of such analogues as genuine dairy products.
“Several media reports have claimed that products described as ‘dairy analogues’ are being marketed as real dairy items, which misleads consumers,” said Rakesh Kumar, Director of the Regulatory Compliance Division at FSSAI.
Key Proposals
1. Clearer Naming Conventions: The FSSAI plans to standardize the use of terms like “non-dairy” and “analogue” when used with traditional dairy names (e.g., “non-dairy milk” or “analogue cheese”). The goal is to ensure that consumers are not misled into believing they are purchasing dairy-based products.
2. Mandatory Ingredient Disclosure: For packaged foods containing dairy analogues, labels must explicitly state the type of analogue used—such as “analogue of cheese”—followed by a list of components in descending order of quantity. For example:
Ingredients – analogue of cheese (milk solids, refined palm oil, hydrogenated vegetable fat, modified starch, emulsifier).
3. Restaurant and Food Service Compliance :Hotels, restaurants, and caterers must declare the use of dairy analogues in their menu offerings using clear terms like “analogue of paneer” or “non-dairy butter,” ensuring that customers can make informed choices when dining out.
4. Ban on Loose Sales: Dairy analogues must be sold only in pre-packaged units of no less than 500 grams. Loose or unlabelled sales will be prohibited to prevent ambiguous marketing.
5. Licensing Restrictions: Only food businesses holding State or Central licenses will be allowed to manufacture dairy analogue products. Smaller operations with an annual turnover below INR 12 lakh or a daily production capacity under 100 kg/litres will be excluded to increase regulatory oversight and quality control.
Broader Consumer Safeguards
The proposed regulations are part of a larger FSSAI initiative to strengthen labelling norms for vegan and plant-based products, as well as improve transparency in milk packaging.
As the popularity of plant-based and synthetic dairy alternatives rises in India, the FSSAI’s regulatory overhaul aims to balance market innovation with consumer protection, ensuring that product labelling, sourcing, and sales are held to rigorous standards.