Zomato bans analogue dairy dishes from its platform and says it removes non-compliant items with immediate effect. In notifications to restaurant partners, the company warns that remaining non-compliant could result in delisting from the platform. The banned products include items such as analogue cheese and paneer dishes, which use substitute ingredients intended to mimic dairy.
The outlets describe the policy as “zero tolerance” and focused on transparency and food quality standards for customers. Several reports connect the move to heightened scrutiny and enforcement activity by India’s food regulators, including checks by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration and inspections involving the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Zomato tells restaurants to verify ingredient labels provided by vendors and either switch to natural dairy ingredients or remove the affected dishes from menus if a quick transition is not possible.
Times of India also adds a separate operational note, saying Zomato shuts down its Hyderabad customer support operations, leading to job losses for about 250 employees. Other outlets focus only on the analogue dairy ban and the delisting warning.
