Zomato has announced a zero-tolerance policy against dishes containing analogue dairy products on its platform, asking restaurants to immediately switch to natural dairy products.
The food delivery company said on Monday that dishes which restaurant partners have declared as containing analogue dairy have already been removed from the platform with immediate effect. Restaurants that fail to comply with the new policy could be delisted.
Zomato has asked its restaurant partners to take corrective steps, including replacing analogue dairy with natural dairy products. Where an immediate switch is not possible, restaurants have been instructed to remove such dishes from their menus.
The company has also told restaurants to carefully review product labels and ingredient declarations provided by suppliers. The move is aimed at ensuring that the ingredients used in food items are accurately represented to customers.
Analogue dairy products are made by replacing some or all milk components with non-dairy ingredients. Analogue paneer, for example, can contain vegetable oils, starches, plant proteins, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat.
Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla said the company’s policy was aimed at protecting customers and maintaining clear standards for food listed and served through its platform.
The issue of analogue dairy has attracted increased attention in India in recent months. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) clarified in April that such products can be sold if they are correctly labelled. However, selling or serving a cheese analogue as “paneer”, or listing food made with analogue products as paneer, violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Maharashtra has also announced a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of artificial or analogue paneer, citing concerns over food safety.
According to data from the state’s enforcement drive between April 2025 and March 2026, 109 out of 308 samples tested failed to meet prescribed standards. Of these, 79 were classified as sub-standard and 30 as unsafe.
Zomato’s latest move puts the responsibility on restaurants to verify the ingredients used in their dishes and ensure that customers receive accurate information about what they are ordering. Non-compliant restaurants could ultimately lose access to the platform.
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