Milk plays a vital part in nutrition, especially in a nation like India, where the majority of people follow a meatless diet. It is a great source of proteins and calcium. Milk is a well-balanced meal that is high in fat, milk proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and it offers all the nutrients you need in balanced amounts. The FSSAI brought controls into the market due to milk product adulteration and false promises.
From which milk is produced, the most often occurring animals are cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep. The natural mammary secretion received from the whole milking of a healthy milch cow is what the FSSAI defines as milk. It must be free of colostrum. If the minimum and maximum limits for fat and SNF are in line with the standards for milk, milk that has been changed for either the fat level or the SNF content, or both, may also be referred to as “milk.”
Main Regulation of FSSAI
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, the Milk and Milk Products Order of 1992 will be considered as rules passed under the Act. To achieve the goals of this Act, the Food Authority may, by notice, change the rules listed in sub-section (1) with prior permission from the Central Government and after prior release.
Definitions of the Main Categories of Milk and Milk Products
The following is a list of the main groups for milk and its products according to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
- Milk: This is especially the whole, pure, and healthy milk that is taken from a dairy cow during a typical milking process. Unless otherwise stated in these rules, no changes may be made, and it must be free of colostrum.
- Dairy Products: These include products made from milk processing, as well as approved food chemicals and other necessary ingredients for the particular product, as approved by these rules. Cheese, paneer, ghee, butter, and yoghurt are a few examples.
- Integrated Dairy Product: Integrated dairy products are ones in which the amount of the final product, when consumed, depends heavily on the presence of milk or its substitutes. No component of milk may be replaced or overwhelmed by any non-dairy material. Fruit-infused ice creams, flavoured sour milk, and shrikhand are a few examples of such combined dairy goods.
- Simulated Product: The term “simulated product” refers to goods in which non-dairy ingredients partially or completely replace milk components, but the final product closely resembles the properties of milk, dairy products, or integrated dairy products as outlined in these guidelines, either in terms of sensory qualities or functional aspects.
Categories of Milk Products
The FSSAI separates milk goods into a number of groups, each with different standards:
- Raw Milk: Raw milk is the full, raw milk that comes from goats or cows. To a certain degree, raw milk is also subject to FSSAI rules, which include a strict quality check to ensure that the milk is free from contamination or germs.
- Pasteurised Milk: The goal of pasteurisation is to remove dangerous bacteria from milk without losing nutritional value.
- Homogenised Milk: Homogenisation is the process of lowering fat globules so that they cannot form a cream layer. This kind of milk is made using a particular process to ensure that the milk has a regular taste and flavour. According to FSSAI rules, homogenised milk must stick to certain standards for protein and fat content.
- Sterilised Milk: Milk that has been treated to eliminate all germs is shelf-stable and doesn’t need cooling. The FSSAI sets standards for cleaning methods to ensure that milk is safe and nutrient-rich throughout its store life.
Particular FSSAI Standards for Various Types of Milk Products
The following are the exact guidelines for several kinds of milk products, including cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, cream, butter, and ghee:
- Cream: When milk rests or is split using spinning methods, the fatty layer comes to the top. It must have a minimum fat content of 25% and a maximum wetness content of 72%. Starches, sugar, or needless additives are not allowed.
- Butter: Made by stirring cream or milk, butter might include salt or other allowed ingredients. It has to have a minimum of 80% milk fat and no more than 16% moisture. Vegetable oils, fats, or replacement animal fats must be absent from it.
- Ghee: Heating either butter or cream gives ghee, a clarified form of butterfat. It needs a minimum fat level of 99.7% and a maximum moisture content of 0.3%. Artificial tastes, colours, or chemicals are not allowed.
- Cheese: Made by curdling cream, milk, or semi-skimmed milk, or their mixes, cheese may also include extra clotting agents, enzymes, or salt. Different kinds of cheese, such as processed cheese, soft cheese, or hard cheese, have different standards in terms of wetness content, acidity, salt content, age, and other factors.
- Yoghurt: Made by using lactic acid bacteria cultures to process milk or semi-skimmed milk, yoghurt might have extra sugars, fruits, nuts, or other items added. Flavoured yoghurt should have a minimum fat level of 2.5%, whereas plain yoghurt must have a minimum solids-not-fat content of 8.5% and a fat content of 3%. It is necessary to have a minimum titratable acidity of 0.7% as lactic acid.
- Ice Cream: Ice cream is a frozen mix of pasteurised milk-based products that may include chocolate, sweets, fruits, or nuts. At least 10% of it must stay fat, and 11% must be made up of solids rather than fat. It has to be free of fake tastes, colours, and sweets.
Conclusion
To aid the dairy food business, FSSAI has set several standards and rules for different milk goods and milk. Furthermore, the study suggests that milk output in India will reach 300 million tons by the year 2030. You are needed to get the FSSAI license for milk and milk products, or you may apply for FSSAI registration based on your firm’s turnover.
Related Services
