India’s food regulator FSSAI has filed an FIR alleging a “coordinated conspiracy of national scale” involving social media users accused of spreading misleading content on issues like fake milk and paneer, with suspicions of foreign funding and cross-border influence behind the campaign.
According to the complaint filed on March 26 at IP Estate police station, certain influencers and accounts allegedly accessed and circulated confidential FSSAI documents without authorisation, some of which were claimed to be edited, selectively presented, or forged to undermine public trust in India’s food safety system.
Investigators flagged over 100 coordinated posts on social media platform X, suggesting a sustained and organised campaign aimed at portraying Indian food products as unsafe and eroding consumer confidence in regulated food systems.
The FIR also points to possible involvement of insiders within FSSAI, who may have facilitated access to internal documents, raising concerns of breach of confidentiality and criminal trust violations. Authorities have sought detailed user data including IP logs, email IDs, and account activity to trace those behind the posts.
Officials indicated that some accounts may be operating from outside India, with the campaign potentially designed to benefit foreign or non-compliant food businesses by damaging the credibility of FSSAI-certified operators.
The case has sparked debate, with some critics arguing it could be seen as targeting whistleblowers, while authorities maintain the probe is necessary to protect institutional credibility and ensure trust in India’s food safety ecosystem.
Source: Dairynews7x7 5 April, 2026 Read full story here
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