FSSAI Advisory on Cutting Tools: A New Focus Area for Dairy Food Safety
Food safety is often perceived mainly through the lens of microbiological hazards, hygiene practices, testing and process controls. However, the recent advisory issued by FSSAI on the use of food-grade, corrosion-resistant knives, blades and cutting equipment highlights an important but sometimes neglected area of food safety — physical and chemical hazards arising from food contact…
Indian Dairy’s White Revolution 2.0: Farmer First, Institutions Second
Can dairy growth come only through expanding cooperatives, or does India need a farmer-centric ecosystem where every processor competes to serve producers? India’s dairy transformation is one of the greatest examples of rural economic development. The cooperative movement, inspired by the vision of Dr Verghese Kurien, created a unique model where millions of small farmers…
Why Dairy’s Sustainability Debate Must Move beyond the Cow
As the world celebrates World Environment Day on June 5th, every sector is once again discussing climate change, carbon emissions, resource conservation and sustainable development. The dairy sector too finds itself at the centre of this conversation. Globally, discussions around dairy sustainability often focus on methane emissions from cattle, feed efficiency, manure management and the…
Predatory Pricing in India’s Dairy Industry: How Cash Burn Is Distorting Milk Economics
The recent controversy around milk being sold at Re 1 on a quick-commerce platform in Bengaluru may appear at first glance like an aggressive promotional campaign or a festive customer acquisition strategy. Yet beneath the surface, it raises a far deeper and far more uncomfortable question for India’s dairy ecosystem, policymakers, cooperatives, ethical businesses and…
Natural Dairy Trans Fats May Not Raise Heart Risk
A new study led by researchers at the University of Reading has found that naturally occurring trans fats in dairy products may not increase the risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes, challenging long-standing concerns surrounding dairy fat consumption. The research, published in the journal Nutrition Research, reviewed evidence from 10 randomized controlled trials…
Climate Resilience Will Define the Next Phase of India’s Dairy Growth
India’s dairy sector today stands at a decisive turning point. The recent National Consultation on Climate-Resilient Dairy held in New Delhi clearly reflected that the conversation around dairy is no longer limited to milk production alone. The sector is now being viewed through a much wider lens — climate resilience, farmer sustainability, productivity enhancement, nutritional…
India’s Dairy Industry Faces Its Biggest Economic Stress in Decades
The latest economic assessments emerging from SBI Ecowrap during May 2026 may appear, at first glance, to be another routine macroeconomic outlook discussing GDP moderation, crude oil risks, currency pressure and labour income slowdown. However, for those who understand the structural realities of India’s dairy economy, these reports carry a far deeper warning. They indicate…
Without Feed Regulation, How Will Dairy Manage Residue Compliance?
The draft amendment issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2024 is far more than a routine updation of pesticide residue limits. It is a strong signal that the future competitiveness of Indian dairy will increasingly depend not only on milk production…
Milk Prices Are Rising—Because Farmers Were Not Earning Enough
Milk prices are rising across India once again. From Punjab to Odisha and Kerala, state dairy federations have begun increasing procurement and retail prices after a prolonged period of relative stability. In Punjab, Verka has raised procurement prices significantly by Rs 20 per kg fat . OMFED has followed with a ₹1 per litre increase,…
Analogue or Ambiguity? A Question of Labels, Lag, and Integrity
The recent crackdown by the Maharashtra FDA on so-called “cheese analogue” products raises an uncomfortable question—what took so long? For years now, the market has been quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, flooded with products that mimic dairy—cheese, paneer, cream—without actually being dairy. Let’s call it what it is: imitation. Or more precisely, analogue. And…