India: FSSAI launches nationwide surveillance on food adulteration targeting milk and milk products
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced a large-scale, nationwide surveillance operation targeting milk and milk products (e.g. khoa, chenne, paneer, ghee, butter, curd, and ice cream) to combat food adulteration.
As part of its mandate to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption, FSSAI plans to assess milk and milk products sold across the country for compliance with quality and safety standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR). The operation aims to identify hotspots for adulteration, devise corrective actions based on the study's results, and offer a way forward.
In the past, FSSAI has conducted several nationwide surveys on commodities, including milk, in 2011, 2016, and 2018. The 2018 National Milk Safety and Quality Survey collected 6 432 milk samples from 1 103 towns and cities in both organized and unorganized sectors, testing them for critical quality and safety parameters.
The PAN India Milk Products Survey in 2020 assessed the safety and quality of 2 801 milk product samples during the festive season. These samples, collected from 542 districts across the country, were tested for quality and safety parameters, including pesticide residues, heavy metals, crop contaminants, melamine, and microbiological parameters.
In 2022, FSSAI conducted a milk survey in 12 selected states due to the outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in cattle. The study aimed to assess the milk's safety concerning antibiotics, pesticide residues, and heavy metals. The results showed that milk sold in the selected states was largely safe for consumption.
Having conducted five surveillances on milk and milk products since 2011, FSSAI continues to monitor food products' safety and quality. The authority remains vigilant, conducting further surveillance based on food-related issues and emerging risks to protect public health.
Source:
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