Food delivery platform Zomato has announced a zero-tolerance policy against analogue dairy products, including analogue paneer and analogue cheese, on its platform. The company said the move has been implemented with immediate effect as part of efforts to improve food quality, ingredient transparency and customer trust.
Under the new policy, restaurants listed on Zomato have been instructed to review the ingredients used in their dishes and ensure that food descriptions accurately reflect what is being served to customers.
What Is Zomato's New Policy?
Zomato said dishes that restaurant partners have already identified as containing analogue dairy have been removed from the platform immediately. Restaurants have been asked to take corrective measures, including replacing analogue dairy products with natural dairy products.
Where restaurants cannot immediately make the switch, Zomato has instructed them to remove the affected dishes from their menus until they can comply with the policy.
The company has also asked restaurant partners to check product labels and ingredient declarations supplied by vendors and verify that the ingredients being used are correctly represented on the platform.
Restaurants Could Face Delisting
Zomato has warned that restaurants failing to comply with the new requirements could be delisted from the platform. The company said the policy reflects its focus on food quality and transparency and is intended to ensure customers know what ingredients are being used in the dishes they order.
Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla said the company's objective is to protect customer health while maintaining clear standards for food listed and served by restaurant partners. The company has not disclosed the exact number of restaurants or dishes affected by the new policy.
What Is Analogue Paneer?
Analogue paneer is a non-dairy substitute designed to resemble traditional paneer in appearance and texture. It can be made using ingredients such as vegetable fats, starches and other non-dairy components instead of milk.
The issue has attracted increasing regulatory attention in India. Several states have recently taken action against non-dairy or analogue paneer being sold or marketed as genuine paneer.
Karnataka, for example, imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, sale, distribution and supply of non-dairy or analogue paneer being sold under the name "paneer." Punjab has also announced a one-year ban covering the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of analogue paneer.
What It Means for Zomato Customers
For consumers, the new Zomato policy means restaurants will need to provide greater clarity about the dairy ingredients used in their dishes. Customers ordering paneer-based meals can expect restaurants to either use natural dairy products or remove dishes containing analogue dairy from their Zomato menus.
The move comes amid growing scrutiny of food labelling and ingredient transparency across India's food industry. Zomato's latest decision puts additional responsibility on restaurants to verify their ingredients and maintain accurate menu information.
Note: The policy applies to dishes identified as containing analogue dairy. Customers should continue checking menu descriptions and restaurant information when ordering.
