FSSAI steps up surveillance on dairy analogues during festive season

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a nationwide surveillance drive in March to monitor dairy analogue products, especially during the festive season when demand for dairy items surges. The initiative aims to prevent mislabelling, adulteration, and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all States and Union Territories (UTs) to intensify surveillance of dairy analogue products throughout March, in light of the ongoing festive season. This directive is part of FSSAI’s ongoing monthly product-specific surveillance drives aimed at curbing food adulteration and ensuring compliance with safety standards.

Dairy analogues are products that resemble milk or milk-based products in appearance, texture, and functionality but are not made entirely from milk. These products contain non-milk ingredients that partially or completely replace key milk components such as milk fat or milk protein. Often, manufacturers use vegetable oils, fats, or plant-based proteins to create these analogues, making them compositionally different from standard milk or composite milk products.

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, dairy analogues are not considered milk or milk products. With demand for dairy products surging during the festive period, FSSAI aims to prevent misrepresentation, mislabelling, and potential adulteration of these analogues being sold as genuine dairy items.

FSSAI has expressed concerns about misleading labels and the potential for consumer deception. It has instructed state food safety authorities to conduct stringent testing and label scrutiny to verify that all dairy analogue products meet the required regulatory standards. The regulator also emphasized the importance of ensuring that consumers can distinguish between actual dairy products and analogues, particularly when dietary choices, allergies, or cultural preferences may be involved.

This month-long drive reflects FSSAI’s commitment to safeguarding public health, promoting transparency in food labelling, and upholding the integrity of India’s dairy sector during a time of heightened consumption.