Consumption expenditure on milk and milk products has increased from Rs 4,15,617 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 5,37,531 crore in 2017-18. This was among the findings of the National Account Statistics 2019.
The current production of milk is sufficient to meet the present demand. By and large, the milk produced in the country is consumed. Milk production in the country increased from 137.7 million tonne in 2013-14 to 187.7 million tonne in 2018-19, and value output has increased from Rs 4,23,150 crore to Rs 7,01,530 crore during the corresponding period. The per capita availability of milk increased from 307g per day in 2013-14 to 394g per day in 2018-19.
There is no information in the department that the cases of adulteration of milk are increasing within the country due to the increased demand of milk. However, in the nationwide National Milk Safety and Quality Survey, conducted by FSSAI (the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) in 2018, only 0.18 per cent samples found to contain adulterants.
In Para 57 of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, there is a provision of penalty for possessing adulterants, which is given as below: if any person who whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf, imports or manufactures for sale, or stores, sells or distribute any adulterant shall be liable –
where such adulterant is not injurious to health, to a penalty not exceeding Rs 2 lakh;
where such adulterant is injurious to health, to a penalty not exceeding Rs 10 lakh.
The Act is implemented by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) through the state food commissioners.
Further, this Department under National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) has provided milk testing equipment for testing of microbiological and chemicals parameters of milk and milk products, including adulterants to 231 dairy plants in the cooperative sector with a total outlay of Rs 271.64 crore during the current financial year.
This information was given in a written reply by Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, in Lok Sabha recently.