Lok Sabha Question No. 2515 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Adulteration in Diary Products
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. K Sudhakar

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2515 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13 TH FEBRUARY, 2026

## ADULTERATION IN DIARY PRODUCTS

## 2515. DR. K SUDHAKAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the increasing reports regarding the manufacture and sale of counterfeit and adulterated dairy products, including Ghee/Paneer and Butter in various parts of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the total number of surveillance samples of milk and milk products collected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) during the last year and the number of samples

found to be non-conforming to prescribed standards;

- (c) the actions taken by the Government against manufacturers found producing sub-standard or unsafe dairy products; and
- (d) whether there is a coordinated mechanism between Central and State Food Safety Authorities to monitor the inter-state movement of adulterated food items and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments. While FSSAI, is responsible for laying down science-based standards and ensuring overall coordination, the State Food Safety Authorities are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level.

To ensure compliance with the set standards, limits, & other statutory requirements under the Act and regulations made thereunder, FSSAI, through its 4 (four) Regional Offices and State/UT food safety authorities conducts regular localized/targeted special enforcement and surveillance drives, inspections and sampling activities for various food products including milk and milk products throughout the year. If any deviations from the standards or violations to the Food Safety and Standards Regulation (FSSR) are observed, the defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs) are subjected to regulatory actions, including punitive measures, as stipulated under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and regulations made thereunder.

FSSAI is organising Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings at regular intervals to facilitate focused deliberations on emerging issues, policy reforms, and strengthening of food safety implementation mechanisms. Through meetings of the Central Advisory Committee, regular engagements are held with State Food Safety Commissioners to review the status of enforcement machinery and to ensure the proper implementation of food safety measures.

Details of the action taken against the defaulting FBOs for milk and milk products for non-compliance in the FY 2024-25 is as under:-

| Financial Year   |   No of Sample Analysed |   No. of samples found Non-Conforming | No of Cases Launched   |
|------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
| 2024-25          |                   33405 |                                 12780 | 12,057                 |

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