Milk adulteration crackdown across the country after issue raised in Parliament by Raghav Chadha, license now mandatory

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a major step to curb incidents of milk adulteration in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday made licensing mandatory for milk production and sale.

The government agency said in a statement that all milk producers and milk vendors—except members of dairy cooperative societies—must compulsorily obtain registration or a license from FSSAI before operating their food business.

The statement further said the move aims to prevent incidents of milk adulteration, strengthen food safety compliance, and protect public health by ensuring safe storage and hygienic supply. States and Union Territories have also been instructed to conduct special registration drives and enforcement inspections in this regard.

In a note issued by FSSAI, it was stated that keeping in view the possible incidents of milk adulteration in various states, strict compliance with registration and licensing requirements must be ensured.

For this purpose, central and state enforcement agencies have been requested to direct the concerned authorities to verify the licenses and registrations of milk producers and milk vendors. States have also been asked to run special registration campaigns in their respective jurisdictions to ensure that all milk producers and milk vendors possess a valid FSSAI registration certificate or license.

MP Raghav Chadha had raised the issue of adulteration

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised the issue in Parliament, accusing companies of selling harmful products under false claims of being healthy and energy-boosting.

He explained how dangerous substances are mixed in everyday essential items. According to him, milk is often found mixed with urea, vegetables with oxytocin, paneer with starch and caustic soda, ice cream with detergent powder, fruit juices with synthetic flavours and artificial colours, edible oil with machine oil, spices with brick powder and sawdust, tea with synthetic colours, and poultry products with anabolic steroids.

He also alleged that sweets which should be prepared with pure desi ghee are sometimes made using vanaspati oil and dalda instead.