The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered companies to stop using labels like “A1” and “A2” on dairy products such as milk, ghee, butter, and curd. These labels are misleading because Indian food laws don’t recognize any difference between A1 and A2 in dairy products.
In recent years, many companies have been selling products labeled as A2, claiming they are healthier and charging higher prices. A1 and A2 refer to proteins in milk, but they can only be identified through genetic testing.
A major milk startup in South India, which markets its buffalo milk as A2, declined to comment on FSSAI’s decision.
FSSAI clarified that these labels are not allowed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations. The authority stated that the standards for milk in India do not mention or acknowledge any difference between A1 and A2 types.
Indian Dairy Association chairman RS Sodhi criticized the use of A2 labels, saying it was a marketing trick to mislead customers. He noted that testing for A1 or A2 proteins is difficult and that there is no scientific proof that A2 milk is better than A1.
FSSAI has instructed all companies, including those on e-commerce platforms, to remove these claims immediately, allowing them six months to use up existing labels.
Parag Milk Foods chairman Devendra Shah supported the FSSAI’s decision, saying that the focus should be on the overall health benefits of milk, such as its protein, calcium, and vitamin content. He emphasized that the A1 and A2 labels were more about marketing than science and that the global trend is moving away from this distinction.
Experts in the dairy industry also pointed out that even ghee is sold as A2, despite the fact that it doesn’t contain proteins.
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