**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Unstarred Question No. 2515 regarding adulteration in dairy products, to be answered on February 13th, 2026. It outlines the role of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in regulating food standards and enforcement. It also shares data regarding sample testing and actions taken against defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs) for the financial year 2024-25.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **FSSAI Mandate:**
* FSSAI is responsible for establishing science-based standards for food articles.
* FSSAI regulates the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food.
* The aim is to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
* **Implementation and Enforcement:**
* The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is jointly enforced by central and state governments.
* FSSAI sets standards and ensures overall coordination.
* State Food Safety Authorities primarily enforce the Act at the field level.
* **Compliance Monitoring:**
* FSSAI, through its Regional Offices and State/UT authorities, conducts enforcement and surveillance drives, inspections, and sampling.
* Defaulting FBOs violating standards are subject to regulatory and punitive actions under the FSS Act, 2006.
* **Coordination and Review:**
* FSSAI organizes Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings to discuss emerging issues and policy reforms.
* Meetings are held with State Food Safety Commissioners to review enforcement and implementation of food safety measures.
* **Action Against Non-Compliance (FY 2024-25):**
* Number of samples analyzed: 33405
* Number of samples found Non-Conforming: 12780
* Number of Cases Launched: 12,057
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Food Business Operators (FBOs)**
* **Impact:** FBOs are impacted by the standards and regulations set by FSSAI. They are subject to inspections and sampling to ensure compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Non-compliance can lead to regulatory actions and punitive measures.
* **Action Required:** FBOs must adhere to FSSAI standards and regulations in their manufacturing, storage, distribution, and sale of food products. They must ensure the safety and quality of their products to avoid regulatory actions.
**Stakeholder: State Food Safety Authorities**
* **Impact:** State authorities are responsible for enforcing food safety standards at the field level. They collaborate with FSSAI and participate in the CAC meetings to review enforcement strategies and implementation of food safety measures.
* **Action Required:** Enforce FSSAI food safety regulations at the field level. Coordinate with the FSSAI to review enforcement machinery and proper implementation of food safety measures.
**Stakeholder: Consumers**
* **Impact:** Consumers benefit from the measures taken to regulate food safety standards, as they are intended to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
* **Action Required:** No direct action, but are advised to be aware of food safety standards and report any concerns regarding food safety to the relevant authorities.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): The primary authority mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: The act under which FSSAI operates and whose implementation and enforcement is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The ministry under which the FSSAI operates.
Central Advisory Committee (CAC): The committee that FSSAI organizes to facilitate focused deliberations on emerging issues, policy reforms, and strengthening of food safety implementation mechanisms.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO.2515
TO BE ANSWERED ON13THFEBRUARY, 2026
ADULTERATION IN DIARYPRODUCTS
2515. DR. K SUDHAKAR:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a)whether the Government hastaken note of the increasing reportsregardingthe
manufactureandsale of counterfeit andadulterateddairyproducts, including Ghee/Paneerand
Butterinvariouspartsof the country andif so, the detailsthereof;
(b) the totalnumberof surveillance samples of milkandmilkproductscollected bythe Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) during the last year and the number of
samples
found tobe non-conformingtoprescribed standards;
(c)the actionstakenbythe Government against manufacturersfound producingsub-standard
or unsafe dairyproducts; and
(d) whether there isa coordinated mechanism betweenCentral andState FoodSafety
Authoritiestomonitorthe inter-state movementof adulterated food itemsandif so, the details
thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO 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 andenforcement of the Food Safetyand StandardsAct, 2006is a
shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments. While FSSAI, is
responsible for laying down science-based standards and ensuring overall coordination, the
StateFoodSafety Authoritiesare primarilyresponsible for enforcement at the fieldlevel.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 andmilk products throughout the year. If any deviationsfrom 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, asstipulated under the FoodSafety and Standards (FSS)Act, 2006 and regulations
made thereunder.
FSSAIis organisingCentral Advisory Committee (CAC) meetingsat regularintervals
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 milkproducts for
non-complianceinthe FY2024-25 isasunder:-
FinancialYear No of Sample No. of samples found No of Cases
Analysed Non-Conforming Launched
2024-25 33405 12780 12,057
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