When people order paneer at a restaurant or buy it from a local dairy outlet, they assume they are getting the real thing — a fresh dairy product made from milk and valued for its high protein and calcium content. Few realise that in some cases, what is being sold as paneer may actually be an analogue product or faux paneer made using vegetable fats, starches and additives. It is this growing gap between consumer expectation and product reality that has prompted the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to tighten regulations and crack down on the mislabelling of analogue paneer a few days ago. The move is both timely and necessary from a public health perspective. By directing that analogue products cannot be marketed or sold as paneer and must be clearly labelled for consumers, the regulator has taken an important step towards improving food transparency and protecting nutritional standards. Why paneer is a nutrition powerhouse Paneer occupies a special place in the Indian diet.…