FSSAI orders nationwide crackdown on adulteration of milk, paneer and khoya

In a yet another massive against adulteration sources have told CNBC TV18 that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Tuesday issued a strict advisory directing all States and Union Territories to launch a special nationwide enforcement drive against the adulteration and misbranding of milk and milk products, including paneer and khoya, amid mounting concerns over consumer health and food safety.

According to sources aware of the development, the directive has been issued under Section 16(5) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which empowers the food regulator to take urgent measures in the interest of public health. The advisory follows a spate of recent detections and intelligence inputs pointing to widespread adulteration and misrepresentation of dairy products across several regions.

FSSAI is understood to have flagged that a significant portion of adulterated milk products in the market are being manufactured and supplied by illegal and unlicensed entities. The regulator has reiterated that selling adulterated or analogue products while passing them off as genuine milk, paneer or khoya constitutes a serious violation of the law and attracts stringent penal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act and related regulations, sources said.

As part of the enforcement drive, State Food Safety Departments and FSSAI Regional Offices have been instructed to carry out intensive inspections of premises involved in the production, storage and sale of milk and milk products. The inspections will cover both licensed or registered food business operators (FBOs) as well as unlicensed units operating outside the regulatory framework, sources said.

Food Safety Officers have been directed to draw enforcement samples of milk, paneer and khoya strictly in accordance with prescribed procedures and to verify the licensing and registration status of businesses during inspections, sources said.

Sources added the advisory also mandates authorities to undertake traceability exercises wherever samples are found to be non-conforming or where suspicious patterns emerge, with the objective of identifying the source of adulteration and dismantling illegal manufacturing and supply chains.

The regulator has asked States and UTs to initiate strict enforcement action wherever violations are detected. This includes seizure of unsafe food articles, suspension or cancellation of licences, closure of illegal units, recall of adulterated products from the market and their destruction, claimed sources.

To strengthen oversight, FSSAI has directed that all inspection and enforcement-related data be promptly uploaded on the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS), enabling effective consolidation and analysis at the headquarters level, sources shared.

The advisory also places responsibility on the food service and hospitality sector. State regulators have been asked to sensitise hotels, restaurants, catering establishments, quick service restaurants, pubs and industry associations to ensure that no adulterated paneer is procured, used, stored, prepared, served or sold on their premises. Any violation will invite punitive action, sources said.

Highlighting the need for coordinated action, FSSAI has called for enhanced inter-State coordination and the development of local intelligence to curb the inter-State movement of adulterated and misbranded milk products. The personal attention of Commissioners of Food Safety and FSSAI Regional Directors has been sought to ensure immediate compliance and strict implementation of the advisory, sources elucidated.

Officials said the move is aimed at reinforcing consumer confidence, preventing food fraud and ensuring the availability of safe and genuine milk products across the country, sources said.