Zomato bans dishes containing analogue dairy products

Zomato has prohibited the sale of dishes containing analogue dairy products by restaurants listed on its platform, adopting a zero-tolerance policy amid increased regulatory scrutiny of food safety and adulteration.

The food delivery platform said on Monday that dishes declared by restaurant partners as containing analogue dairy would be removed immediately. Restaurants that fail to comply with the new requirements could also be delisted from the platform.

Restaurant partners have been directed to replace analogue products with natural dairy ingredients. Those unable to make the transition immediately have been asked to remove the affected dishes from their menus.

Zomato has also instructed restaurants to examine suppliers’ product labels and ingredient declarations to verify the composition of the products they use. The company said menu listings must accurately represent the ingredients served to customers.

“At Zomato, our core mission is better food for more people, and that means safeguarding customer health and upholding clear standards for what's listed and served by our restaurant partners,” Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla said.

“This policy reflects that commitment, one we're taking together with partners who share it,” he added.

The decision follows regulatory action by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India against food businesses over alleged safety violations and non-compliance. Earlier in August, the regulator suspended licences and issued prohibition orders in cases concerning non-compliant ghee products and suspected adulteration.

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has separately prohibited the production, distribution and sale of artificial or analogue paneer for one year, citing risks to public health.

The state regulator acted after laboratory tests found that more than 35 per cent of recently examined paneer samples in Maharashtra had failed quality standards because of vegetable-fat adulteration.

Hotels, restaurants, catering businesses and cloud kitchens were consequently barred from preparing, serving, using or storing such artificial dairy substitutes.

Analogue dairy products typically replace milk fat or other dairy components with cheaper substitutes such as vegetable fat. Unless disclosed accurately, their use can mislead customers who believe they are consuming conventional dairy products.

Zomato said its new policy was aligned with regulatory requirements and formed part of its broader efforts to improve ingredient transparency, food quality and access to healthier choices.

With IANS inputs