Zomato has taken a major step to improve food transparency on its platform.
The food delivery company announced a zero-tolerance policy on analogue dairy dishes, effective immediately.
Under the new policy, Zomato will remove restaurant listings that are found to be selling dishes containing analogue dairy products.
The company said dishes that restaurants themselves have declared as containing analogue dairy have already been removed from the platform.
Zomato said the move is aimed at giving customers more transparency about what they are ordering while also supporting better food quality and healthier choices.
What Restaurants Must Do Now
Zomato has asked restaurant partners to take immediate action.
Restaurants that can switch to natural dairy products have been encouraged to do so.
If they cannot make the switch immediately, they must remove dishes containing analogue dairy from their menus.
Restaurants must also check the labels and ingredient details provided by their suppliers.
They need to verify what ingredients are actually being used and ensure that the information shown on Zomato is accurate.
Restaurants that continue to violate the new rules could be removed from the Zomato platform.
Why Has Zomato Taken This Decision?
The move comes amid increased scrutiny of food quality and adulteration by food safety authorities.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken action against food businesses following inspections that found food safety violations and non-compliance.
There have also been concerns over non-compliant ghee products and adulteration.
In Maharashtra, the Food and Drug Administration recently banned the production, distribution and sale of artificial analogue paneer for one year.
The action followed laboratory testing of paneer samples.
According to an IANS report, more than 35% of recently tested samples failed quality checks because of vegetable-fat adulteration.
Hotels, restaurants, caterers and cloud kitchens in the state were also prohibited from using, preparing, serving or storing such artificial dairy substitutes.
Zomato CEO Explains the New Policy
Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla said the company wants to maintain clear food standards for products listed on its platform.
He said the company’s focus is not only on providing more food options but also on protecting customer health and ensuring transparency about the food being served.
Zomato said the new policy is in line with applicable food safety requirements and is part of its wider effort to give customers clearer information and healthier food choices.
What Is an Analogue Dairy Dish?
An analogue dairy dish uses substitute ingredients instead of traditional dairy products.
Depending on the product, substitutes may include ingredients such as vegetable oil, palm oil, starch and artificial flavours.
These ingredients can be used to create products that look or feel similar to traditional dairy-based foods.
What Is Analogue Paneer?
Analogue paneer is a dairy-free substitute for regular paneer.
It is manufactured to look, taste and have a texture similar to traditional paneer, but it does not use dairy milk in the same way as conventional paneer.
What Does This Mean for Zomato Customers?
For customers, the new policy means restaurants will have to be more careful about the ingredients used in their dishes.
Restaurants using analogue dairy will need to either switch to natural dairy ingredients or remove those dishes from their Zomato menus.
If restaurants fail to follow the policy, Zomato has said it can take further action, including removing them from the platform.
