As the global food landscape evolves with innovations in plant-based alternatives and functional foods, regulatory frameworks are being challenged to balance innovation with consumer clarity. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) took proactive steps in April 2025 to address a critical emerging issue: the labelling and regulation of plant-based analogues to dairy products.
Responding to growing media attention and concerns raised by industry stakeholders, the FSSAI released a Consultation Paper on April 16, 2025, proposing a comprehensive regulatory framework for products categorized as “Analogue in dairy context.” The initiative stems from the need to ensure consumer transparency, prevent misleading claims, and provide uniform labelling standards in a rapidly diversifying food market.
The key proposals under discussion include:
- Nomenclature Requirements: Products substituting milk constituents must carry explicit prefixes like “Non-dairy” or “Analogue” before dairy terms (e.g., “Non-dairy Paneer,” “Analogue of Cream”) to clearly distinguish them from traditional dairy items.
- Ingredient Declaration Mandates: All pre-packaged foods must clearly identify dairy analogues within their ingredient lists, further reinforcing transparency at the point of purchase.
- HoReCa Sector Obligations: Hotels, restaurants, and caterers will be required to disclose the use of dairy analogues clearly on menus and display boards, ensuring diners are accurately informed.
- Sales Format Restrictions: Dairy analogues must be sold only in pre-packaged forms, with a minimum net quantity of 500 grams, disallowing loose sales to maintain labeling integrity and hygiene.
- Stricter Licensing Norms: Petty food businesses producing dairy analogues will no longer be eligible for basic FSSAI registration. Instead, they must obtain state or central licenses, enabling stricter oversight and quality control.
These proposals reflect a broader global trend toward enhanced food transparency and labeling precision, particularly as plant-based, lab-grown, and alternative food products increasingly populate retail shelves. However, the Indian regulatory discussion highlights a unique challenge: selecting terminology that is accurate, informative, and acceptable across diverse stakeholders. The debate between using “Analogue” versus “Non-dairy” underscores the sensitivity of language in maintaining consumer trust while supporting industry innovation.
Beyond dairy analogues, the April 7, 2025 stakeholder meeting also addressed proposed amendments across several food categories:
- Dairy Products: Updates on standards for ultra-pasteurization, flavored milk, and fermented dairy products.
- Fats and Oils: Introduction of new standards for hazelnut, pistachio, and walnut oils, recognizing changing consumption patterns toward specialty oils.
- Fruit and Vegetable Products, Cereals, Meat, Fish, and Sweets: Targeted enhancements aimed at improving food safety, labeling consistency, and accommodating emerging industry practices.
Together, these regulatory efforts underline India’s broader commitment to modernizing its food safety framework in step with technological advances, consumer expectations, and global best practices. As plant-based and alternative food markets expand, ensuring clarity without stifling innovation will remain a delicate but essential balancing act.
India’s evolving food regulations are thus not merely bureaucratic measures—they represent a fundamental commitment to informed consumer choice, industry accountability, and the sustainable future of food.
–V Devaki Nandini
