Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) serves as the central regulatory authority for food safety in India, ensuring compliance with standards that protect consumer health. Its role is particularly crucial in the dairy sector, where it enforces regulations to maintain product integrity and consumer safety.

Important Events

FSSAI has been instrumental in implementing critical regulations to enhance the integrity of dairy products. A significant initiative includes requiring cheese-like products to be labeled as cheese analogues, preventing their misrepresentation as authentic paneer. This decision was made after 83% of paneer samples failed safety tests, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 550 kg of adulterated paneer by the Noida Food Safety Department.

In addition to this, FSSAI fined Heritage Foods Limited for product quality issues. However, the scope of its authority was challenged when the Delhi High Court restricted its jurisdiction to human-centric regulations, preventing it from regulating animal feed. Notices were issued to companies like Param Dairy Limited and Bikanervala to address hygiene and compliance concerns.

Company Plans

FSSAI is committed to enforcing strict regulations to ensure consumer safety and sustain the integrity of food products. It is actively updating its guidelines to address emerging food safety challenges and has launched a nationwide campaign against dairy fraud. Part of this campaign includes 'Food Safety on Wheels'—mobile testing laboratories deployed across Indian markets for rapid testing and promoting the use of testing kits.

State food safety commissioners are mandated to undertake strict legal actions against violators, and independent milk producers and vendors must obtain a registration or food business license to enhance traceability in India's milk supply chain. Following an adulteration incident, mandatory licensing was enforced in the East Godavari district for dairy stakeholders.

FSSAI is also addressing digital misinformation about milk quality by initiating legal actions against social media influencers spreading false information. It is moving towards a 'Risk-Based Inspection' system to streamline inspections for compliant processors and tighten regulations on independent vendors. A significant operation intercepted unbranded and unrefrigerated tankers carrying suspected adulterated milk, with samples collected for laboratory analysis.

Despite the large-scale dairy audit from 2023 remaining unpublished, it highlights enforcement gaps. Consumers are advised to purchase verified products and report quality concerns through FSSAI platforms. The authority has identified severe public health risks from antibiotic residues and Aflatoxin M1 in milk, leading to a ban on loose milk in Maharashtra.

FSSAI continues to face challenges, particularly concerning cold chain logistics and food safety across India's railways, drawing attention from social media users and consumer advocacy groups demanding further action. Additionally, FSSAI was involved in dismantling a counterfeit ghee network in mid-June 2026, seizing over 6,500 liters of adulterated product.

The FSSAI continues its nationwide surveillance of milk quality, conducted in collaboration with State Food Safety Authorities to ensure compliance with safety standards.

Modified: 2026/07/21