How to Identify Fake Paneer: A complete guide to ensure authenticity and quality

By Nancy Tiwari | First Published Dec 19, 2024, 6:43 PM IST

Cheap fake paneer is being sold in the market. Learn how to identify this fake paneer, which can cause life-threatening diseases.

Who doesn't love paneer? Especially children love paneer and dishes made from it. This is the reason why fake paneer is readily available in the market these days. Due to the high cost of real paneer, the paneer you get in shops for 100 to 200-250 rupees is mostly fake. Recently, Zomato has been accused of supplying a 'fake paneer' called 'analog paneer' to restaurants through its B2B service Zomato Hyperpure. Although this product is clearly labeled as "analog paneer" on their website, it is being promoted as suitable for popular dishes like Tikka and Paneer. Experts believe that eating it can be life-threatening or cause serious diseases.

The controversy over 'fake paneer' started after a user named Sumit Behl raised the issue on social media. "India loves paneer dishes and restaurants are selling fake paneer made from vegetable oil without any warning. People are being led to believe that they are eating healthier food than junk food by eating a variety of paneer dishes. But this is extremely dangerous," he said.

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Analog paneer is also called synthetic paneer. It is made from skim milk. This fake paneer usually contains substances like vegetable fat and starch instead of milk. On the Zomato Hyperpure website, it is described as being made from skimmed milk and vegetable oil, in which milk fat is replaced with vegetable fat. Restaurants use analog paneer mainly because of its low price. Real paneer costs around ₹450 per kg, while this is available for around 200 rupees.

So here are easy ways to know if the paneer you bring home is fake or real...
1. Check the ingredients: Always read the label carefully. Real paneer should only list milk and acid (like vinegar) as ingredients. Analog paneer usually contains vegetable oil and starch.

2. Do a home test:
– Lentil test: Boil the paneer and add some lentil powder to it; if the water turns light red after 10 minutes, it may contain urea.

– Salt test: Sprinkle some salt on the boiled paneer. If it turns blue, it contains starch.

3. Pay attention to the texture and taste: Real paneer is crumbly when pressed and has a milky aroma. Analog paneer is hard or rubbery to chew and tastes sour.

4. Be wary of the price: If the price seems too good to be true – analog paneer sells for less than real paneer – be cautious.

Therefore, for those who care about quality, homemade paneer is a good option. It is easy to make with just milk and an acid like lemon juice or vinegar.

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