Lok Sabha Question No. 2166 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Trading of Adulterated Milk
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Arjun Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2166

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 th  DECEMBER, 2022

## TRADING OF ADULTERATED MILK

## 2166. SHRI ARJUN SINGH:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## मत्स्यपाऱन , पशुपाऱन और डेयरी मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the trade of adulterated milk is on rise in the country and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) if not, the extent to which adequate supply of milk is being maintained despite low production of milk in the country; and
- (c) the details of the steps being taken by the Government to check adulterated milk trade in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) There is no information in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying that the trade in adulterated milk is on the rise in the country.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed that, whenever any instance/ complaint regarding sale  of  substandard  and  adulterated  milk  into  the  market  is  brought  to  the notice of FSSAI, strict action including seizure and destroying the adulterated milk is taken by the officials of FSSAI and State Food Administrations. It is also informed that the implementation and enforcement  of  FSS  Act  2006,  Rules  and  Regulations  made  thereunder  primarily  lies  with State/UT  Governments.  There  is  provision  for  regular  surveillance,  monitoring,  inspection  and sampling of food products including milk by Food Safety Officers of States/UTs. Penal action has been initiated against the defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs) as per the provisions of FSS Act 2006, Rules and Regulations made thereunder. Further, special enforcement drives are also carried  out  by  the  States/UTs  to  ensure  availability  of  safe  and  un-adulterated  milk  and  milk products to the consumer especially during festive seasons.

- (b) Milk Production in the country is sufficient to meet the domestic demand. Milk production in the country during 2021-22 (provisional) was 221.06 Million Metric Ton (MMT) with per capita availability of 444 gram/day.

(c)  Major  steps  initiated  by  the  Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  (DAHD), Government  of  India  and  FSSAI  to  check  adulterated  milk  trade  in  the  country  and  to  ensure supply of safe and good quality milk are as under:

- i. DAHD is  implementing  Dairy  Development  schemes  namely:  National  Programme  for Dairy Development (NPDD) and Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund across the country to create necessary infrastructure for chilling, processing & testing of milk and milk products through dairy cooperatives, milk producer companies etc.
- ii. NPDD has been restructured/realigned in July 2021 and will continue to be implemented from  2021-22  to  2025-26.  Component  A  of  the  scheme  focuses  primarily  towards creating/strengthening  of  infrastructure  for  quality  milk  testing  equipment  as  well  as primary  chilling  facilities.  Under  the  scheme,  installation  of  33,688  Automatic  Milk Collection  Units  with  Milk  Analysers,  installation  of  9683  Electronic  Milk  Adulteration Testing Machines, Strengthening of 239 District/Regional Level Dairy Plant Laboratories with  adulteration  testing  equipment,  establishment  of  15  State  Central  Laboratories  etc. have been approved.
- iii. A uniform logo under the Confirmatory Assessment Scheme was formed by DAHD and Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)  in  consultation  with  various  stakeholders  including NDDB, featuring the earlier respective logos  BIS-ISI mark & NDDB-Quality Mark and Kamdhenu Cow. This has brought  'Product-Food Safety Management  System-Process' certification under one umbrella.
- iv. In order to address the issue of adulteration in food products including milk and the gaps in the  food  safety  eco-system  of  States/  UTs  and  to  promote  the  culture  of  safe  and wholesome food through pooling of technical knowledge and best practices, as a shared responsibility, FSSAI has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with States/UTs for  strengthening  of  Food  Safety  Eco-system  in  the  country  by  providing  technical  and financial support.
- v. There  is  network  of  food  testing  laboratories  both  under  Public  and  Private  Sectors recognized  by  FSSAI  for  testing  of  food  at  primary  &  appellate  levels  to  check  the parameters prescribed under FSS Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations made there under.
- vi. Food Safety  on  Wheels  (FSW) are also  placed  from  time  to  time  in  prominent  markets and/or basis of specific intelligent input, so to ensure that milk and milk products are safe to consume and are strictly as per the prescribed milk standards.
- vii. FSSAI  has  approved  Rapid  Testing  Kits  for  empowering  the  consumers  to  check  for adulteration of milk in real-time.
- viii. FSSAI  has  prioritized  inspection  in  accordance  with  Risk  Based  Inspection  System (RBIS). States/UTs have been requested and advised to start carrying out inspections of FBOs' premises based on their risk based classification of license/registration data
- ix. FSSAI  has  apprised  States/UTs  through  Central  Advisory  Committee  Meetings,  Video Conferencing and States visits to carry out targeted enforcement and surveillance drive to prevent adulteration in food products including milk.