Charges against pvt milk firms: Minister submits analysis

Tamil Nadu minister K T Rajendra Balaji today submitted in the Madras High Court an analysis report of milk samples of three private firms to substantiate his charge that their fat content was below the minimum prescribed limit.

The milk and dairy development minister submitted the certificate of analysis by the Referral Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad, with reference to the quality of full cream milk supplied by Hatsun Agro Product Limited, Dodla Dairy Limited and Vijay Dairy and Farm Products Pvt Ltd.

As per prescribed standards and Regulation No: 2.1 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products and Food Additive Regulations) 2011, the minimum fat content should be 6 per cent, but it was only 5.67 per cent in the Dodla product.

Likewise in Arogya Milk, it was 5.67 per cent and in Vijaya's it was 5.85 per cent.

The report stated that the samples do not conform to the standards laid down under the Regulation of Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011, as they showed fat content below the minimum prescribed limit and thus was sub-standard under Section 3(1)(zx) of FSS Act, 2006.

Justice C V Karthikeyan, before whom the reports were submitted, adjourned the matter for further hearing to Tuesday.

The court had on July 10 restrained the minister from making allegations against private milk manufacturers without any proof.

On July 26, Balaji had moved the High Court, seeking dismissal of suits by the three milk manufacturers, and Rs one crore each as damages over his statements in the media on quality of their products, saying it "is a blackmail action".

The minister said he had scrutinised material given to him by public spirited individuals, wherein they had cautioned about sale of milk and milk products by private firms adding unnatural ingredients and he found genuiness in their charge.

He had said even the Supreme Court had directed the central and state governments to take steps to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 effectively.

Balaji had claimed he has material to prove that the firms had indulged in milk adulteration.

Besides seeking the damages, the firms had submitted that the minister's remarks were meant to create a "sense of fear and panic" in the minds of consumers, a sense of "disgust and revulsion" on milk and milk products manufactured by private dairies as a whole and their product in particular.

The companies, while mentioning the statement by Central laboratories, had said they had not received any test samples from the Tamil Nadu government.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)