STANDARD SPECIFICATION OF MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS IN INDIA

June 17, 2019

3797

by-DR. RAJESH KUMAR SINGH, (LIVESTOCK & POULTRY CONSULTANT), JAMSHEDPUR, JHARKHAND,INDIA .9431309542, rajeshsinghvet@gmail.com

Different quality control agencies have prescribed quality specifications for milk and milk products in India. Some such agencies are Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (the standards prescribed by the Directorate are known as PFA Standards); Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) (the standards are known as ISI standards) and Agriculture produce Grading and Marketing, Directorate Ministry of Agriculture Government of India (AGMARK Standards). For maintaining the quality and to prevent adulteration of different food products including milk and milk products certain standard specifications have been laid down. Out of these standard specifications the specification prescribed by Directorate General of Health Services Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India which are known as PFA (Prevention of Food Adulteration) Standards are mandatory or legal standards while the standards prescribed by AGMARK or BIS are obligatory / optional/ quality standards.

DIFFERENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SPECIFICATION FOR MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 Standards:

1. Milk: Milk is the normal mammary secretion derived from complete milking of a healthy animal without either addition there to or extraction thereform. It shall be free from colostrum. Milk of different classes or different designations shall conform to the standards laid down below.

2. Pasteurized Milk: The term pasteurization and similar terms shall be taken to refer to process of heating every particle of milk to at least 630 C and holding at such temperature continuously for at least 30 minutes or heating at 71.50 C and holding at such temperature continuously for at least 15 seconds or at an approved temperature- time combination that will serve to give a negative phosphatase test. All pasteurized milks (milks of different classes, shall be cooled immediately to a temperature of 100 C or less).

3. Sterilized Milk: the term sterilization when used in association with milk means heating the milk in a sealed container continuously to a temperature of either 1150 C for 15 minutes or at least 130 0 C for a period of one second or more in a continuous flow and then packed under aseptic condition in hermetically sealed containers to ensure preservation at room temperature for a period not less than 15 days from the date of manufacture.

4. Boiled Milk: Boiled milk means milk that has been brought to boil.

5. Flavored Milk: Flavored milk by whatever name called, may contain nuts (whole, fragmented or ground), chocolate, coffee or any other edible flavor, edible food colour, and cane sugar. Flavored milk shall be pasteurized, sterilized or boiled. The type of milk shall be mentioned on the label.

6. Mixed Milk: Mixed milk means a combination of milk of cow, buffalo, sheep, goat or any other milch animal and may be a combination of any of these milks and which has been made and conforms to the standards given in the table below.

7. Standardized Milk: Standardized milk means cow milk or buffalo milk (or sheep milk or goat milk or a combination of these milk) that has been standardized to fat and solid not fat percentage given below in the table. Standardized milk shall be pasteurized and shall show a negative phosphatase test.

8. Recombined Milk: Recombined milk means the homogenized products prepared from milk fat, milk solids and water. Recombined milk shall be pasteurized and shall show a negative phosphate test.

9. Toned Milk: Toned milk means the product prepared by admixture of cow or buffalo milk or both with fresh skimmed milk or by admixture of cow or buffalo milk or both that has been standardized to fat and solid not fat percentage given in the table below. It shall be pasteurized and shall show a negative phosphatase test.

10. Double Toned Milk: Double toned milk means the product prepared by admixture of cow or buffalo milk or both with fresh skimmed milk or by admixture of cow or buffalo milk or both that has been standardized to fat and solid not fat percentage given in the table below.

11. Skimmed Milk: Skimmed milk means the product prepared from milk from which almost all the fat has been remove mechanically.

12. Full cream Milk: Full cream milk means the milk from cow or buffalo or a combination of both that has been standardized to fat and solid not fat percentage given in Table below.

13. Dahi or Curd: Dahi or curd means a product obtained from pasteurized or boiled milk by souring, natural or otherwise, by a harmless lactic acid or other bacterial culture. Dahi may contain added cane sugar. Dahi shall have the same minimum percentage of milk fat and milk solid not fat as the milk from which it is prepared, where dahi or curd is sold or offered for sale without any indication of class of milk, the standards, prescribed for dahi prepared from buffalo milk shall apply.

14. Cream: Cream including sterilized cream means the product from cow or buffalo milk or a combination there of. It shall be free from starch and ingredients foreign to milk. Low fat cream shall contain milk fat not less than 25%, medium fat may contain not less than 40% and high fat cream shall contain not less than 60% milk fat content by weight. Cream sold without any indication about milk fat content shall be treated as high fat cream.

15. Channa or Paneer: Channa or paneer means the product obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination, thereof by precipitation with sour milk, lactic acid or citric acid. It shall not contain more than 70% moisture and the milk fat content shall not be less than 50% of the dry matter.

16. Cheese (Hard): Cheese means the product obtained by draining after coagulation of milk with a harmless milk coagulation agent under the influence of harmless bacterial culture. It shall not contain any ingredients not found in milk except coagulating agent, sodium chloride, calcium chloride (anhydrous salt) not exceeding 0.02 percent by weight, annatto or carotene colour and may contain emulsifiers and/ or stabilizers namely citric acid, sodium citrate or sodium salt of orthophosphoric acid and polyphosphoric acid (as linear phosphate) not exceeding 0.2 percent by weight. Wax used for covering the outer surface shall not contain any thing harmful to health. In case the wax is coloured, only permitted food colours shall be used. Hard cheese shall contain not more than 43% moisture and not less than 42% milk fat of the dry matter. (hard cheese may contain up to 3000 parts per million sorbic acid or its sodium, potassium or calcium salt calculated as sorbic acid, and/ or 12.5 parts per million nisin either singly or in combination).

17. Processed Cheese: Processed cheese means the product obtained by heating one or more types of hard cheese with permitted emulsifiers and / or stabilizers namely, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salt of orthophosphoric acid or polyphosphoric acid (as linear polyphosphate) with or without added condiments and acidifying agents, namely vinegar, lactic acid, acetic acid, citric acid and phosphoric acid. Processed cheese may contain not more than 4 % of anhydrous permitted emulsifiers and/ or stabilizers provided that the content or inorganic agents shall in no case exceed 3 percent of the finished products. It shall not contain more than 50% moisture. The milk fat content shall not be less than 40 % of the dry matter. Processed cheese may contain up to 3000 parts per million of sorbic acid or its sodium, potassium or calcium salts (calculated as sorbic acid) and for 12.5 parts per million nicin either singly or in combination. It may contain calcium chloride (anhydrous) not exceeding 0.02 % by weight.

18. Ice cream, Kulfi and Chocolate Ice Cream: Ice cream, Kulfi or chocolate ice cream means the frozen product obtained from cow milk, buffalo milk, or a combination thereof or from cream and/ or other milk products, with or with out the addition of cane sugar (dextrose, liquid glucose and dried liquid glucose or malto dextrin), eggs fruits, fruit juices, preserved fruits, nut, chocolate edible flavors and permitted food colours. It may contain permitted stabilizers and emulsifiers not exceeding 0.5% by weight. The mixture shall be suitably heated before freezing. The product shall contain not less than 10% milk fat, 3.5% milk protein and 36% total solids. Starch may be added to a maximum extent of 5% under a declaration on a label as specified in sub rule 2 of rule 43. The standard of ice cream shall also apply to soft ice cream. In case of ice cream where chocolate or like covering forms a separate layer, only the ice cream portion shall conform to the standards of ice cream.

19. Condensed Milk Unsweetened (Evaporated Milk): Evaporated milk means the product obtained from cow milk or buffalo milk or a combination there of or from standardized milk, by the partial removal of water. It may contain added calcium chloride, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salt or orthophosphoric or polyphosphoric acid ( as linear polyphosphate) not exceeding 0.3% by weight of the finished products. Such addition need not be declared on the level. Condensed milk unsweetened shall contain not less than 8.0 % milk fat and not less than 26% milk solids. In case of condensed skimmed milk unsweetened (evaporated skimmed milk) the fat content shall not exceed 0.5% and total milk solid shall not be less than 20%. If the product is subjected to ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment by heating it at a temperature of not less than 1400 C for a minimum period of 3 seconds followed by aseptic packaging, it shall be designed as UHT and labeled as UHT unsweetened condensed milk.

20. Condensed Milk Sweetened: Condensed milk sweetened mean the product obtained from cow milk or buffalo milk or a combination thereof or from standardized milk by the partial removal of water and after addition of cane sugar. It may contain added refined lactose, calcium chloride, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salts of orthophosphoric or polyphosphoric acid (as linear phosphate) not exceeding 0.3 % by weight of the finished product. Such addition need not be described on the label. Condensed milk sweetened shall contain not less than 9.0 % milk fat not less than 31% total milk solids and not less than 40% cane sugar. The total acidity expressed, as lactic acid shall not be more than 0.35%. In case of condensed skimmed milk sweetened the milk fat shall not exceed 0.5% and total milk solids shall not be less than 26% whereas in partially skimmed sweetened condensed milk the fat content shall not be less than 3% and not be more than 9% by weight and the total milk solids shall not be less than 28%.

21. Milk Powder: Milk powder means the product obtained from spray drying milk obtained from fresh cow milk or buffalo milk or a mixture thereof it may contain added calcium chloride, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salts of orthophosphoric or polyphosphoric acid (as linear polyphosphate) not exceeding 0.3% by weight of the finished product and 0.01% butyrate hydroxy anisole (BHA) by weight. Such addition need not be declared on the label. For improving dispensability it may contain lecithin to a maximum limit of 0.5% under label declaration as per rule 42. Milk powder shall contain, not more than 4.0% moisture, not less than 26% milk fat, not less than 96% total solids and not more than 7.3% total ash on dry basis. The total acidity expressed, as lactic acid hall not be more than 1.2%. The plate count shall not exceed 40,000 per gram coliform count and coagulase positive staphylococcus aureus shall be absent in 0.1 grams of the powder. Salmonella and shigella shall be absent in 25 grams of the powder. The solubility index shall not be more than 2.0ml.

22. Skimmed Milk Powder: Skimmed milk powder means the product obtained from cow milk or buffalo milk or a combination thereof by the removal of water. It may contain added calcium chloride, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salts of orthophosphoric or polyphosphoric acid (as linear polyphosphate) not exceeding 0.3% by weight of the finished product. Such addition need not be declared on the label. Skimmed milk powder shall not contain more than 1.5% milk fat and moisture shall not exceed 5%. The total acidity as expressed as lactic acid shall not exceed 1.5%. The total plate count shall not exceed 50,000 per gram and coliform shall be absent in 0.1 grams of the powder. Insolubility index (maximum) for roller-dried powder is 15.0 ml and for spray dried is 1.5 ml. The total solid shall not be less than 95% and total ash on dry basis shall not be more than 8.2%.

23. Partially Skimmed Milk Powder: Partially skimmed milk powder means the product obtained from partially skimmed cow milk or buffalo milk or a combination thereof by the removal of water. It may contain added calcium chloride, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium salts of orthophosphoric or polyphosphoric acid (as linear phosphate) not exceeding 0.3% by weight of the finished product. Such addition need not be declared on the label. Partially skimmed milk powder shall not contain more than 5.0% moisture. Fat content of the product shall be more than 1.5% and less than 26%. Butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) not exceeding 0.01% by weight of the finished product may be added. The exact fat content shall be indicated on the label. Insolubility index (maximum) for roller-dried powder should be 15.0 ml and for spray dried shall be 1.5 ml. The total solids shall be less than 95.0% and total ash content shall not be more than 8.2%. The acidity expressed as lactic acid shall not exceed 1.5%.

24. Khoya: Khoya means the product obtained from cow milk or buffalo milk or goat or sheep milk or milk solids or a combination there of by rapid drying. The milk fat content shall not be less than 30%on dry weight basis of the finished product. It may contain citric acid not more than 0.1% by weight. It shall be free from starch, added sugar and added colouring matter.

25. Table (Creamery) Butter: Table butter means the product obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof or from cream or curd obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination, thereof with or without the addition of common salt or annatto or carotene as colouring matter. It shall be free from other animal fats, wax and mineral oils, vegetable oils and fats. No preservative except common salt and no colouring matter except annatto or carotene shall be added. It shall contain not less than 80.0% by weight milk fat, not more than 1.5% curd and not more than 3% of common salt. Diacetyl may be added as flavoring agent but if so used the total Diacetyl content shall not exceed 40 part permillion. Calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium polyphosphate (as linear polyphosphate) may be added for regulating the hydrogen ion concentration in the finished product not exceeding 0.2% by weight of butter as a whole.

26. Deshi (Cooking) Butter: Deshi or cooking butter means the product obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof or curd obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof without the addition of any preservative including common salt, any added colouring matter or any added flavoring agent. It shall be free from other animal fats, wax and mineral oil, vegetable oils and fats. It shall contain not less than 76.0% of milk fat by weight. When butter is sold or offered for sale without any indication as to whether it is table butter or Deshi butter, the standard prescribed for table butter shall apply.

27. Ghee: Ghee means the pure clarified fat obtained solely from milk or curd or from Deshi (cooking) butter or from cream to which no colouring matter, preservative has been added. The standard of quality of ghee produced in a state or union territory specified against the said state or union territory in the corresponding columns 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the table below.

28. Chakka: Chakka means a white to pale yellow semi solid product of good texture and uniform consistency obtained by draining whey from the yogurt obtained by the lactic fermentation of cow milk, buffalo milk, skimmed milk and recombined or standardized milk, which has been subjected to minimum heat treatment equivalent to pasteurization. It shall have pleasant yogurt/ dahi like flavor. It shall not contain any ingredient foreign to milk. It shall be free from mouldness and free from signs of fat or water seepage or both. It shall be smooth and it shall not appear dry. It shall not contain extraneous colour and flavor. Its total solid present by weight shall not be less than 30; milk fat on dry basis shall not be less than 33% by weight, milk protein on dry basis not less than 30% by weight. Titrable acidity as lactic acid shall not be more than 2.5% by weight and total ash on dry basis shall not be more than 3.5%. In case of skimmed milk chakka minimum total solids shall be 20% while minimum milk proteins be 60% on dry basis. Its milk fat shall not be more than 5% on dry basis while Titrable acidity as lactic acid percent of weight shall not be more than 2.5 and the total ash content on dry basis shall not be more than 5%. Chakka sold without any indication shall conform to the standards of chakka.

29. Shrikhand: Shrikhand means the product obtained from chakka or skimmed milk chakka to which milk fat is added. It may contain fruits, nuts, sugar, cardamom, saffron and other spices. It shall not contain any added colouring and artificial flavoring substances. Total solids percent by weight shall not be less than 58% while milk fat and milk proteins on dry weight basis shall not be less than 8.5 and 9% respectively. Sugar (sucrose) on dry basis shall not be more than 72.5%, total ash on dry basis not more than 0.9% and Titrable acidity as lactic acid not more than 1.4% of weight. In case of fruit Shrikhand it shall contain milk fat (on dry basis) percent by weight not les than 7.0 and milk protein on dry basis percent by weight not less than 9.

30. Yogurt: Yogurt means a coagulated product obtained from toned milk, pasteurized or boiled milk by lactic acid fermentation through lactobacillus bulgaricus delbrukie var. bulgaricus and streptococcus bulgaricus thermophillus. It may also contain cultures of Bifidobacterium bifidus and lactobacillus acidophilus and if added, the declaration to this effect shall be mentioned on the label. The product shall have a smooth body and custard like consistency with no whey separation. It may contain: a. Milk powder, skimmed milk powder, whey protein, water-soluble proteins caseinate manufactured from pasteurized product and lactase enzyme preparation. b. Sugar, corn syrup or glucose syrup in case of sweetened flavored and fruit yogurt only. c. Fruit, fruit pulp jam, fruit syrup, fruit juice etc in flavored and fruit yogurt only. d. Permitted colours and flavors in flavored and fruit yogurt only. It may contain permitted stabilizers up to a maximum limit of 0.5% by weight. It shall also conform to the following standards namely:

Titrable acidity of the product from 0.8 to 1.2% by weight (as lactic acid). The specific lactic acid bacterial count per gram of the product shall not be less than 10,00,000 and E.coli shall be absent in the product.

ii. AGMARK Standards: In addition to the PFA standards/ specifications discussed above there are standard specifications for butter and ghee by AGMARK. These are the standards prescribed by Agricultural produce grading and marketing Act of 1937 prescribed by the Ministry of Agriculture Government of India. These standards are not mandatory i.e. the manufacturer or seller of butter and ghee may or may not adopt these standards. These are quality standards and the products get premium if it is having AGMARK seal. These standards are superior to PFA standards.

iii. BIS Standards: Except ghee, butter and certain fluid milk products other milk products has ISI standards prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards. These standards are also quality standards and superior to PFA standards. If a producer wants to put an ISI mark on his product then his product has to meet these specifications. Certain dairy products like milk powder (whole and skimmed), condensed milk and milk cereal based weaning food are under compulsory certification by BIS.

iv International Standards International standards for food and food products including milk and milk products are formulated by Codex Alimentariees.

S. Class of Designation Locality Minimum Milk

No Milk % Milk Solid

Fat Not Fat

1. Buffalo milk Raw, boiled Kerala, 5.0 9.0

pasteurized Lakshadweep,

sterilized Minicoy,

flavored and Amindive Islands,

boiled. Madhya Pradesh,

Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Orissa,

Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura.

Rest of India 6.0 9.0