Lok Sabha Question No. 4508 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Adulteration of Milk Products
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ramesh Bidhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4508 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH MARCH, 2020

## ADULTERATION OF MILK PRODUCTS

## 4508. SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has received complaints of adulteration in the quality of ghee, curd, butter and milk supplied by the Delhi Milk Scheme during the financial year 2018 - 19;
- (b)if so, the nature and number of complaints received and the action taken thereon; and
- (c) the efforts made to ensure that milk products supplied to the consumers are of good quality?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b): Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  and  the  Department  of Animal Husbandry and Dairying haveinformed that no complaint of adulteration in the quali ghee, curd, butter and milk supplied by the Delhi Milk Scheme has been received during the Financial Year 2018 - 9.
- (c): FSSAI has formulated science based standards for various food products, including m products.

The enforcement and implementation of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder primarily rests with the State/UT Governments.

- I. In  order  to  ensure  the  availability  of  safe  food  products,  including  milk  an pro ducts, to the consumers and for keeping a check on adulteration, regular surveil monitoring  and  inspections  are  being  carried  out  by  the  Officials  of  Food  Sa Departments  of  the  respective  States/UTs  to  check  compliance  of  the  provisions down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder. In cases where the samples are found to be non - conforming, penal action is taken against the defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs).
- II. A Risk Based Inspection Syst em (RBIS) has been introduced with higher frequency of inspection for high risk category food products like Milk and milk products.
- III. FSSAI advised the State Food Safety authorities from time to time to  (a)  maint strict vigil on milk chilling units t o elimina e the chances of adulteration or production of any  spurious  milk  entering  into  the  milk  value  chain  (b)  intensify  surveillance

festive seasons when demand of milk and milk products increases (c) keep a strict by regularly drawing foo d samples from all sources viz. manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers and take strict action against the offenders  under the provisions of 2006 (d)generate local intelligence regarding the malpractices which expectedly wi more prevalent a t local levels (e) strengthen testing and enforcement infrastructure physical as well as human to ensure that a strict surveillance is maintained to c malpractices of adulteration effectively.

- IV. FSSAI has developed and released a harmonized Scheme of Testing and Inspection (STI to  be  adopted  by  dairy  processing  plants  for  the  purpose  of  monitoring  and compliance  throughout  their  production  chain  in  order  to  strengthen  their  int controls .  All  dairy  processing  plants  are  required  to  maintain  appropriate  recor testing.
- V. FSSAI has notified more laboratories to strengthen the food testing ecosystem. At p there are 246 primary food testing laboratories in the country under network of FSSAI and 18 appellate labs.  58 Mobile food testing labs have been provided to 31 Sta strengthen testing facilities even in remote areas.
- VI. To build up trust of consumers in safety and quality of milk and milk products, con awareness and engagement programs are organised throughout the country. This includes dissemination of details about Detecting Adulterants with Rapid Testing (DART) bo and magic box containing sample tests to be performed at home to check adulteratio milk and Cons umer guidance note on milk products which have been uploaded on FSSAI website i.e. www.fssai.gov.in .

Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  has  informed  that  Milk  and  Milk Products supplied by DMS to the consum ers are tested as per the quality standards of milk an milk products specified in Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Stand (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 made there under. Further order to ensur e that milk products supplied to the consumers are of good quality. DMS has valid licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. DMS is also having ISO 220 -2005 Certification for Food Safety Management System along with Hazard Analysis and Crit ical Control Point (HACCP) to ensure reduction and elimination of food safety risks as a me protect consumers. Further, the Milk Products after manufacturing are tested in Quality Laboratory (QCL) of DMS for ensuring their quality standards in compliance to Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 before supplying to the Consumers.