As summer temperatures rise, India’s food safety regulator plans to carry out a comprehensive nationwide surveillance on milk and milk products, which are among the most commonly adulterated commodities.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will conduct testing on a range of dairy products, including milk, khoa, chhenna, paneer, ghee, butter, curd, and ice cream. These tests will encompass both the organized and unorganized sectors involved in the sale of these products.
“The rationale behind choosing milk for the surveillance is that milk has an indispensable role in our food culture either as a fresh fluid or as processed dairy products. Milk contains vital micronutrients and macronutrients. People of every age group include milk or milk products in their daily diet,” said FSSAI in a statement without giving a date for the survey.
India’s total milk production has experienced a notable upswing, surging from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 to reach an impressive 221.1 million tonnes in 2021-22. This remarkable growth can be attributed to the implementation of several central government schemes aimed at enhancing the dairy industry.
According to the most recent National Milk Safety and Quality Survey conducted by FSSAI in 2022, it was discovered that a mere 0.19 percent of the total 6,432 milk samples examined were found to be adulterated. However, alternative estimations from within the industry suggest that the adulteration rate could potentially be as high as 70 percent.
“Changing lifestyle patterns and increasing health consciousness are the key growth drivers for milk and high value milk products in India,” the statement said.
FSSAI conducts regular nationwide surveys to assess the quality of various commodities, including milk. In the case of milk, surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2016, with sample sizes of 1,791 and 1,663, respectively. These surveys serve as valuable assessments of the milk quality landscape in the country at different points in time.
The comprehensive National Milk Safety and Quality Survey of 2018 encompassed all states and union territories across the country. A total of 6,432 milk samples were diligently collected from both the organized and unorganized sectors in 1,103 towns/cities with a population exceeding 50,000.
Every single sample that was collected underwent rigorous testing to ensure both its quality and safety. In 2020, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted a survey specifically focused on examining the safety and quality of milk products and desserts that were available in the market during festive seasons.
As part of the aforementioned survey, a total of 2,801 milk product samples, comprising paneer, khoya, and chhenna, were collected from both the organized and unorganized sectors. These samples were gathered across 542 districts, encompassing a wide geographical area.
The milk products underwent thorough testing to assess their quality and safety across various parameters. These parameters encompassed pesticide residues, heavy metals, crop contaminants, melamine, and microbiological factors.
In 2022, the FSSAI conducted a milk survey across 12 states, with 10 of them being affected by Lumpy Skin disease in cattle. The objective of the survey was to investigate the potential residual contamination in milk due to the administration of antibiotics or veterinary drugs in affected animals, as well as the spraying of insecticides in the sheds.
“The outcome of the survey revealed that the milk sold in the selected 12 states is largely safe for consumption,” said the FSSAI statement.
