India, Aug. 5 -- Citing public health risks, the Maharashtra government has announced a total ban on artificial or analogue paneer - a non-dairy product made from vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and additives - making it the second state in the country to do so after Chhattisgarh.

An order issued by food safety commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on July 30 states: "The manufacturing, processing, preparation, packing, storage, distribution (including transportation), wholesale sale, retail sale, offering or exposing for sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer is hereby prohibited throughout Maharashtra for a period of one year."

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) warned that serving analogue paneer as real paneer would amount to mislead...