The Uttarakhand government on Friday banned the manufacture, storage, transportation and sale of substandard dairy and imitation dairy products, including paneer, ghee and butter made using vegetable oils, starch and chemicals instead of pure milk.

The ban, imposed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, came into immediate effect across the state through an order issued by the Health Secretary and Commissioner, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Vinay Shankar Pandey.