Parliament Question: Widespread Adulteration of Milk in the Unorganised Sector

Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.855 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 WIDESPREAD ADULTERATION OF MILK IN THE UNORGANISED SECTOR 855. SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the findings of surveys conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) indicating that 68–70 per cent of milk samples across the country do not meet safety standards with some States reporting 100 per cent non-conformity and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it is a fact that adulteration is particularly rampant in the unorganised sector, which handles a major share of milk production and distribution in the country; (c) if so, the steps taken by the Government to curb milk adulteration and ensure food safety in both organised and unorganised sectors; (d) whether the Government proposes to implement stricter monitoring mechanisms, mobile testing labs and public awareness campaigns to address this public health concern; and (e) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L. VERMA) (a) & (b) : FSSAI conducts periodic Pan-India Surveillance of Food products especially on staple foods and commodities that are prone to adulteration including milk. Under Pan-India surveillance on Milk and Milk Products conducted in 2023, 10126 samples were collected covering 756 districts of 36 States/UTs consisting of 4878 samples from organised sector (packed samples) and 5248 from un-organised sector (loose samples). This survey revealed that 98% samples were safe for human consumption. Further, 421 samples (292 samples from unorganized sector and 129 from organised sector) across the milk products were found to be adulterated due to Starch, Sodium chloride, Foreign Fat and Sucrose. (c) to (e) : The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments. While FSSAI, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is responsible for laying down science-based standards and ensuring overall coordination, the State Food Safety Authorities are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level. Designated officers(DOs) and Food safety officers(FSOs) under the Commissioner of Food safety in the States/UTs are entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of this Act.To ensure compliance with the set standards, limits, & other statutory requirements under the Act and food safety & standards regulations (FSSR), FSSAI, through State/UT food safety authorities conducts regular localized/targeted special enforcement and surveillance drives on various food products including Milk & Milk products across the sectors (both organised and unorganised), inspections and sampling activities throughout the year. If any deviations from the standards or violations to the FSSR are observed, the defaulting food business operators (FBOs) are subject to regulatory actions, including punitive measures, as stipulated under the FSS Act 2006 and its associated rules. To ensure the safety of the food and food products through testing, FSSAI has notified 246 NABL- accredited food testing laboratories for analysis of food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the analysis of appellate samples. FSSAI has also provided Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) referred to as “Food Safety on wheels” (FSW) to States/UTs. It is a multipurpose vehicle that has helped in dissemination of information and acts as a platform for getting food safety training and food testing. It is an important means to combat adulteration as FSWs are equipped with basic infrastructure for on spot testing of adulteration in various food commodities. Currently, 305 FSWs are deployed across 35 States and UTs. FSSAI has facilitated rapid food testing methods to reduce the screening time of the food products at the field level and accelerate surveillance as well as monitoring activities such as RAPID Kits which are advanced, easy to use, portable and handheld devices and don't require any sophisticated equipment or conventional reagents to conduct the tests. Further, the Food Safety Magic Boxes, meticulously curated by FSSAI, facilitate the detection of adulteration in food. It consists of reliable "quick screening tests" that a common person can perform at the household level, enabling a broad assessment of potential adulteration in their food in cases of doubt. It is an educational tool, which can ignite curiosity among students and empower them to distinguish between safe and unsafe food. It consists of a total of 107 tests across 06 food categories which includes detection of adulterants like starch, urea, detergent, cellulose, maltodextrin salicylic acid, glucose etc. FSSAI published DART Booklet ie., “Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test which covers more than 50 quick tests for different categories of foods, milk & milk products, oils & fats, sugars & confectionery, food grains and their products, spices & condiments, to detect adulteration at household levels. FSSAI is conducting awareness activities for consumers and citizens at large to educate them about food safety and healthy and hygienic eating habits. Several IEC activities are carried out through social media platforms and community outreach programmes. FSSAI has created a dedicated playlist titled “How to Check for Adulteration” on its official YouTube channel, which includes short videos demonstrating methods to detect adulteration in various food items, including milk and milk products. Further, “#No To Adulteration” campaign has been undertaken to raise awareness among consumers about identifying safe food products, including milk and milk products. *****