Ice-cream and flavoured milk come under FSSAI lens; new norms for milk

The proposal comes a month after the FSSAI banned Chinese imports of milk and milk products which contained melamine

Food safety watchdog, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is planning to set new quality standards for ice-cream and flavoured milk besides tightening the existing safety norms for milk and other dairy products.

The proposal comes after the FSSAI recommended banning for one year till June 2016 the import of Chinese milk and milk products, which contained melamine.

At present, the FSSAI has norms for milk, paneer, ghee and butter, among others.

In its latest proposal, the regulator is working on setting more specific and stringent standards for fat content in milk.

"There is need to further broaden the quality standards for milk and its products. We are working on that and it is likely that in next one month, we will come up with a draft of these standards," a source said.

The source further said that the authority is working on comprehensive norms for milk and milk products which will now also include ice-cream and flavoured milk, among others.

At present, the FSSAI has a ceiling on the presence of insecticides and metal contaminants in milk and milk products.

The regulator has stepped up surveillance on processed food items after the Maggi controversy. It is reviewing safety standards and holding several consultations with stakeholders to strengthen it.