KOCHI,
July 31, 2013
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday permitted Milma to implement its decision to remove the inscription “fresh and pure” from its milk sachets from November 1.
A Division Bench comprising Justice S. Siri Jagan and Justice K. Ramakrishnan issued the order after recording the submissions of Milma.
When an appeal filed against a single judge’s verdict allowing Milma to hike the prices of milk came up for hearing, the Bench had directed Milma to pull out the fresh and pure declaration from its packets.
It was brought to the court notice that despite adding imported skimmed milk powder to its milk, the sachets contained the label “fresh and pure”.
Milma submitted that it had decided to drop the inscription. However, dairies under it were keeping sufficient quantities of low density polyethylene film (LDPE) used for packaging milk. In fact, it kept the film stock for two to three months with all statutory printing.
The present stock of the film would be exhausted only by the end of October. Besides, a new design would have to be developed and new packing material sourced. Therefore, introduction of new packets after removing the phrase “fresh and pure” would be possible only by October 31, 2013. It, therefore, pleaded that it be allowed to keep the stock of the film till October 31 and introduce new packets from November 1.
Milma in its affidavit said that SNF (solid non fat) contents of milk procured from farmers would not have the required standard prescribed by the Food Safety Standards Act and Rules. Its average SNF content was lower than the standards prescribed by the Act.
So, it was mandatory that the milk procured even from the farmers should be standardised by adding SNF; either in the form of skimmed milk powder or skimmed milk.
FOOD SAFETY UPDATE 