FSSAI orders removal of A1, A2 claims from milk, milk product marketing
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday asked food business operators (FBOs) and e-commerce players to remove all claims of A1 and A2 types of milk and milk products from all packaging.“It has come to the notice of FSSAI that several FBOs are selling/marketing milk and milk products such as ghee, butter, curd, etc., in the name of A1 and A2 under Fssai licence number,” it said.
The food regulator stated that the A1 and A2 differentiation of milk is essentially linked to a difference in the structure of protein (beta casein). The current rules do not recognise any such differentiation of milk on the basis of A1 and A2 types.“Hence, the use of any A2 claims on milk fat products is misleading and not in conformance with the provisions laid down under the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, and its regulations,” an FSSAI order stated.“The concerned FBOs shall ensure strict compliance with the same with effect from the date of issuance of this direction. Although the FBOs are permitted to exhaust the available pre-printed labels within six months from the date of issuing this direction, no further extension or timeline will be granted to any FBO,” the order further stated.Industry players supported the move, stating that it would lead to better transparency and accuracy in dairy product labelling."It's crucial to eliminate misleading claims. The categorisation of A1 and A2 milk has been largely driven by marketing tactics rather than scientific evidence, and the global trend is moving away from this distinction. The conversation around A1 and A2 milk may have captured attention, but it's vital to understand that the real value of milk lies in its complete nutritional profile,” said Devendra Shah, chairman, Parag Milk Foods.
"Our focus should remain on the comprehensive health benefits of milk—such as its rich content of protein, calcium, and vitamins. This FSSAI announcement is a positive step towards ensuring that consumers receive accurate information and promoting greater transparency in the dairy sector,” he added. Queries sent to Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy and Zomato remained unanswered at the time of going to press.
What's your opinion? 🤔🤔🤔
Is A1, A2 just a Marketing gimmick?
Full fat milk is same or better ?
These products are sold in market with extreme high price compared to without label products.
Is that high price even worth it ? Comment if you consume those .
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The difference boils down to the fat content of milk. In earlier years preparing ghee from Nandini milk was easy but in the last year especially it's been bad enough that we have essentially switched over to buying Nandini ghee. However the fat content listed on the pack has remained unchanged at 4.5g/100g. Also since these companies remove much of the fat from the milk before selling it to the consumers fat soluble vitamins for ex. are also reduced.
I buy both a2 milk and amul milk .a2 milk i use for drinking and amul for making cottage cheese. Also I buy a2 ghee from barosi
"90% of India’s milk, including all buffaloes’, has A2 protein. Premium is gimmick — Amul MD"
“A2 milk marketing gimmick came from New Zealand as the market was saturated there so they brought this term to bring exclusivity to their product. Be assured that in India what you are drinking is A2 milk as all buffalo and indigenous cow milk is 100 per cent A2 milk,” Sodhi said
“All HF (Holstein-Friesian) crossbred cows produce 50 per cent A2 milk and 50 per cent A1 milk. So 90 per cent of milk in India is A2 milk,” he said, adding that the premium on A2 milk is just “marketing genius” without additional “health or nutritious benefit”.
https://theprint.in/theprint-otc/90-of-indias-m...
Take it for what it's worth. We do have a lot of desi cows and buffalo milk in the supply chain. So the Amul CEO's explanation seems plausible. And these western guys (New Zealand in this case) are always creating these new health hypes and we as Indians are quick to hop on it even if it means paying extra
Don't mistake me for an Amul hater, I'm an Amul fan. Infact, it is one brand I trust more than any other brand in the country for their genuineness. I also think of A2 as some sort of trademark or copyright, where these companies might be paying royalty to that NZ company for using 'A2' term, and that company ensures good marketing of 'A2' term, hence the gimmick.
But, we need to read between the lines here.
Both of below statements by Mr. Sodhi are 100% true:
- "A2 milk marketing gimmick came from New Zealand", and
- "all buffalo and indigenous cow milk is 100 per cent A2 milk"
But the primary question is, how do we even know we're actually getting milk of indigenous Indian cows when we buy cow milk? Or how do we know the HF milk we're buying is from 50% of that a2 category? We can't.
Atleast with A2 term we know we're getting Indian purebred milk, if the seller is honest, rest is also upto us to test the quality.
For us, consumers, A2 milk is the one sourced from purebred Indian cows, e.g. Gir cow, Sahiwal cows etc. Period.
FSSAI - Has right to direct the milk vendors not to use A1/A2 however if FSSAI is so concerned, they should make it mandatory to mention details like type of cows, diet of the cows and vaccines/hormones etc.
Seems the A2 pitch has hit Amul's bottom line. So they are using legislation to fight back.
Instead of branding A2, they should brand as non-reconstituted milk. Amul etc are reconstituted from milk powder and milk solids imported from other countries whereas most A2 milks are directly packed. Its the production process that makes the difference.
there are only two types of milk. RAW milk & Processed milk. a1 or a2, RAW milk is 1000 times better than processed milk which come out of factories like amul nandhini etc.
I buy A2 milk in Pune.
I think currently in market, in practical terms (unsaid rule), distinction is not based on protein, but based on cow. I repeat, this is in practical terms, not legal or fssai rule terms.
So generally original Indian desi breed cow milk is called A2 milk while jersey cow milk is rest or A1.
There is no such distinction or definition by fssai or any authority, but this is based on how & what is sold in market.
Infact, dairy shops themselves confirmed this when I asked them if they sell desi cow milk apart from jersey, and they all asked me - oh you want A2!
I think there is huge nutritional difference between milk of desi Indian cow vs jersey. I hope there remains a way to differentiate these two going ahead, and majority of these so called 'industry players' including Amul, Parag milk, Chitale milk, etc sell jersey cow milk only.
PS: I also make my own ghee at home with this same milk. I've tried this with A2 milk, as well as Amul, Chitale, etc milk. There is a huge difference. Not only A2 milk leaves up a thick layer of malaai, which when converted to ghee simply melts in mouth, but is also non-sticky. While the ghee from these brands is bit difficult to make as the malaai quantity they produce is not enough in the first place.
Full fat milk is buffalo milk, which is by default A2 imo, as I have not yet seen jersey or hybrid quality in buffalo. If jersey buffalo exist, I've not seen them & not even heard about them from any local milk vendors. Someone who has more relevant experience with cattle industry can comment.