Food delivery giant Zomato on Monday announced a zero-tolerance policy against dishes containing analogue dairy products on its platform, directing restaurant partners to remove such items from its platform or risk being delisted.

The company, with immediate effect, said dishes that restaurant partners have declared as containing analogue dairy products have been taken down from the platform. Furthermore, the company has also directed restaurants to take corrective measures, including replacing analogue products with natural dairy ingredients.

Additionally, the company said where an immediate switch is not possible, restaurants have been directed to remove dishes containing analogue dairy products from their menus.

Restaurants instructed to verify ingredients

As part of the newly-introduced policy, Zomato has instructed its restaurant partners to carefully review product labels and ingredient declarations supplied by vendors and manufacturers. The objective of the move is to ensure that the ingredients used in edibles are accurately verified and that products listed on the platform are mentioned correctly.

Aditya Mangla, CEO of the company, said, “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. This policy reflects that commitment, one we're taking together with partners who share it.”

The company clarified that restaurants which failed to adhere to the new requirements shall be delisted from the platform.

What is Analogue Dairy?

Notably, analogue dairy products are non-dairy alternatives in which some or all constituents of milk are replaced with ingredients which are not derived from milk.

For example, analogue paneer may be manufactured using vegetable oils, starches, plant proteins, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat. In recent months, the use and labelling of such products has fallen under heightened scrutiny amid concerns over transparency and consumer awareness.

In April this year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) clarified that analogue products can be sold provided their labelling is accurate. However, serving or selling a cheese analogue as ‘paneer’ or listing dishes made using analogue products as paneer flouts the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Maharashtra takes tougher stance

Maharashtra announced a year-long ban on the sale and manufacture of artificial and analogue paneer, citing health concerns among the commoners. The state government said that an enforcement drive carried out between April 2025 and March 2026 found that 109 of the 308 samples analysed (35.4%) failed to meet the prescribed standards.

Of these, 79 samples were classified as sub-standard, while 30 were deemed unsafe for consumption.