Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 10: In a major move to tackle recurring incidents of milk adulteration, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to introduce a digital system to enable end-to-end traceability of milk from the animal to the collection centre and beyond.
The initiative is aimed at creating a digital record of milk production and helping authorities establish whether the quantity of milk being collected at centres is consistent with the actual output of milch animals in a particular area.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told The Hindu that the project is currently at a preliminary stage and will be rolled out after the report on digitisation of milking records is completed.
"We have started a project to start a portal. All the milk collection centres will have to upload their data on that portal. The portal will be made, managed and monitored by the FDA," Mundhe said.
According to the commissioner, the FDA will have access to the data uploaded by milk collection centres as well as information on milch animals in the respective regions available through the National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM).
The animal data is maintained digitally through the government's livestock identification system. Under the national livestock database, animals are assigned unique identification numbers and their details and various events are recorded digitally, providing a potential basis for comparing animal-level milk production with milk entering the collection network.
Mundhe said the animal-related data would remain available at the back end of the proposed system and would not be accessible to front-end users.
The proposed mechanism could allow the FDA to identify discrepancies between the estimated milk production of registered animals and the quantities reported by collection centres. Such discrepancies could help authorities identify locations requiring further inspection and testing.
The move comes against the backdrop of an intensified statewide crackdown by the Maharashtra FDA on milk adulteration, synthetic milk production and violations across the dairy supply chain.
In July, the FDA issued stricter compliance requirements covering milk collection centres, bulk milk coolers, chilling centres, dairies, processing units, transporters, distributors and retailers. The rules require operators to maintain traceability records from collection through sale, maintain the cold chain, use food-grade equipment and implement food-safety management systems.
The crackdown followed repeated findings of adulteration and other food-safety violations. The FDA has also carried out raids against suspected synthetic milk operations and other establishments involved in violations.
The department's enforcement drive has included action against dairy businesses for alleged quality and hygiene violations. In one July operation, the FDA suspended the licence of Mumbai's Parsi Dairy Farm after inspectors reported issues including mould growth, poor sanitation, pest infestation and inadequate food-handling practices.
Mundhe has also stressed the need to restore consumer confidence in milk while ensuring that genuine dairy farmers receive a fair price for their produce. Earlier, he said the department's objective was to eliminate the stigma associated with milk adulteration and ensure consumers receive safe, quality milk.
The proposed digital traceability system is expected to complement physical inspections, laboratory testing and enforcement rather than replace them. By connecting milk collection data with digitally registered animals, the FDA hopes to obtain a clearer picture of the quantity of genuine milk entering the supply chain and identify possible points of adulteration or unexplained volume increases.
The initiative also fits into a broader push by the Maharashtra FDA to use technology for regulatory enforcement. The department recently launched an AI-enabled grievance portal through which citizens can report adulterated food and other violations, with features including automatic assignment, escalation and traceability of complaints.
If implemented statewide, the milk-tracking portal could give regulators a more comprehensive digital trail covering milk production, collection and movement, potentially making it easier to trace suspicious consignments and hold operators accountable.