Ensuring milk safety and quality: key challenges for India’s growing dairy industry

Indian milk industry is currently lagging in terms of quality and supply

Currently, India produces 220 billion litres of milk, and by 2030, production is expected to increase to between 280 and 290 billion litres. At that time, milk exports will become a necessity. To succeed in these exports, India must adhere to the three Cs: consistency in quality, consistency in supply, and consistency in competitiveness regarding pricing, according to Vipan Kakkar during a panel discussion on milk safety challenges and opportunities held at the 8th International Dairy & Feed Expo. He noted that the Indian milk industry is currently lagging in terms of quality and supply.

Pravin Avti from Schreiber Dynamix addressed the dairy industry’s value chain, highlighting issues related to animal health, milk collection practices, and milk handling. He pointed out that there are no testing and chilling facilities at the village level, which presents significant challenges for the Indian dairy industry.

Dr Veena Panicker from Merck Group emphasised the importance of milk safety, noting that while rapid testing technologies and methods are emerging, traditional technologies are still in use. There needs to be a shift in perception towards adopting these new technologies.

Sanjay Pandey from Banas Dairy stated that to tackle milk quality challenges, it is essential to change the mindset of consumers and farmers. He stressed the importance of awareness regarding the freshness of milk.

Dr Mukesh Sonawne from Indifoss remarked that harmonisation of regulations poses a challenge, and India is lagging in this area.

Ganesh Sapkal from Govind Milk mentioned that the Indian dairy industry is plagued by adulteration, which he identified as the biggest challenge. He highlighted the need for the dairy sector to provide premium and healthy products.

Finally, Sanjeev Srivastav, a business consultant, pointed out that there is a lack of consistency in product quality, and manufacturers need to take ownership of their mistakes.