Zomato bans analogue cheese dishes, threatens to remove non-compliant restaurants

Zomato will immediately delist dishes containing analogue cheese, paneer or other dairy substitutes from its platform and reserves the right to remove non-compliant restaurant partners entirely, the food delivery aggregator announced Monday.

The zero-tolerance policy targets analogue products that replace traditional ingredients with cheaper alternatives, such as plant oils instead of real milk or cheese, while maintaining the same appearance. Dishes that restaurant partners have already declared as containing analogue dairy have been turned off from the platform with immediate effect.

Crackdown follows Maharashtra FDA action

The initiative follows heightened scrutiny of food safety after a reported state-wide crackdown by the Food and Drug Administration in Maharashtra and inspections by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in five-star hotels in Delhi.

In a communication issued to merchants Monday, Zomato said the move aims to strengthen transparency and food quality in line with food safety and regulatory requirements. "Our priority is to ensure that customers receive food that is accurately represented, safe and meets the expected quality standards," the company stated.

Partners must transition or remove items

Zomato has directed restaurant partners to take immediate action: transition to natural dairy products, remove items containing analogue dairy from their menus where immediate transition is not feasible, and review product labels and ingredient declarations from suppliers to verify ingredients and ensure accurate representation.

"If a restaurant is found to be non-compliant, Zomato reserves the right to delist such restaurants from the platform, in addition to taking any other action available to us under our policies and applicable law," the company stated. The platform also reserves the right to recover any loss, cost, damage or expenses incurred when non-compliant products are delivered to customers.

Aditya Mangla, CEO, Zomato, 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".

Source: The Hindu