FSSAI Directs Dairy Companies to Stop Using Unverified Labels

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed companies to stop using labels like "A1" and "A2" on dairy products such as milk, ghee, butter, and curd, as Indian food laws do not recognize these distinctions. In recent years, numerous companies have emerged, selling milk and related products labeled as A2, claiming it to be healthier and charging higher prices. A1 and A2 refer to specific proteins in milk, which can only be verified through genetic testing.

A prominent milk startup from South India, known for marketing buffalo milk as A2, declined to comment on the FSSAI's directive. The food regulator clarified that the promotion of dairy products under these labels is misleading and does not comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, or its regulations.

FSSAI emphasized that the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, do not differentiate milk based on the presence of A1 or A2 proteins. R.S. Sodhi, chairman of the Indian Dairy Association, criticized the trend, stating that the proliferation of A2 milk brands undermined the credibility of the milk industry, calling it a marketing ploy to mislead consumers. He further pointed out the difficulty in testing for A1 or A2 proteins and the lack of evidence proving that A2 milk is superior to A1.

The FSSAI has instructed all companies, including e-commerce platforms, to remove such claims immediately but has allowed businesses a six-month grace period to use up their existing printed labels.