Zomato under fire for selling ‘analogue paneer’ to restaurants: What is it?

Zomato is facing backlash for selling ‘fake paneer’ to restaurants through its B2B business service, Zomato Hyperpure. Although the product is clearly labelled “Analogue Paneer” on the Zomato Hyperpure website, it is marketed as “fit for tikka and gravy paneer dishes” by the manufacturer, raising concerns about food safety.
The issue of ‘fake paneer’ gained wider public attention when X user Sumit Behal posted about it on the social media platform. Behal raised concerns about Zomato selling analogue paneer to restaurants, noting how these restaurants do not add a disclaimer when selling dishes that use this fake cheese to customers.
“India loves paneer dishes and restaurants sell fake paneer made with vegetable oils without any disclaimer. They made you believe that you are eating healthy food by eating varieties of paneer dishes over junk food ” he wrote on X. “This is being sold on website of Zomato for restaurants,” the Gurgaon man added.

His post led to backlash against Zomato Hyperpure for encouraging food adulteration.
Analogue paneer, also known as fake or synthetic paneer, is a substitute for traditional paneer that’s made using cheaper, non-dairy ingredients. Unlike real paneer, which is made from fresh milk curdled with lemon juice or vinegar, analogue paneer typically contains vegetable fats, starches etc.
On Zomato Hyperpure, one listing for analogue paneer states that it is made of “made from Skimmed Milk and Vegetable Oil” and that its “Milk fat is replaced with vegetable fat.”
For a simple reason: It is much cheaper than real paneer.
On Zomato Hyperpure, 1 kg of analogue paneer costs approximately ₹210. On the other hand, real paneer retails for roughly ₹450 per kg.
For restaurants, this translates to greater profits, especially when they don’t reveal that they are using fake paneer in their dishes.
A lot of people today, especially vegetarians, eat paneer for its protein content. The use of fake paneer has raised concerns about its nutritional value.
Moreover, many analogue paneers use hydrogenated vegetable fats, which may contain trans fats. These are harmful to cardiovascular health and can increase the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and inflammation.