Maharashtra is preparing to introduce a digital tracking system that will help authorities trace milk from dairies and collection centres back to individual animals. The initiative is expected to be implemented within “six months to a year” and aims to reduce milk adulteration and improve food safety across the state.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced the plan on Saturday at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2026. He said the department had already started inspecting milk collection centres across Maharashtra to identify adulteration, unsafe milk and violations of prescribed collection, manufacturing and hygiene practices.
“Over the next few months, possibly within six months to a year, we are going to use a digital system to track it down. Every animal is tagged with an ear tag, which contains its details. If we match those details with the milk produced, I think adulteration and unsafe milk will go down,” Mundhe said.
He added that hundreds of milk collection centres had been identified for inspection around 15 days earlier. The teams are working to trace milk supplies back to the farmers who produce them.
“About 15 days ago, we listed hundreds of milk collection centres where our teams are conducting inspections. We will trace the milk back to the farmer,” he added.
Under the proposed system, the FDA will use data from the Animal Husbandry Department to match milk production records with information linked to animals’ ear tags. This process is expected to help authorities identify inconsistencies and locate the source of adulterated milk.
Mundhe also noted improvements in compliance among milk collection centres, chilling centres and dairies that had previously failed to meet regulatory requirements. He stressed that food safety must become a collective responsibility involving consumers, food businesses and government agencies.
“Food safety affects all of us, from conception to the last moment of our lives. It affects public health, the economy, GDP growth and farmers. Both the demand side, where consumers seek safe food, and the supply side, where businesses comply with rules, have to work together,” he said.
The commissioner added that food safety awareness was gradually spreading across the sector, from street food vendors to established food businesses, although progress varied.
He also highlighted Maharashtra’s ‘Eat Right School’ campaign, which encourages children to choose nutritious food and avoid junk food. According to Mundhe, the initiative has received positive responses from parents.
On pharmaceutical regulation, Mundhe said the FDA was taking action against establishments that failed to comply with rules across the drug supply chain, including pharmacies and manufacturing units. The department is also examining manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which are essential components of medicines.
Inspections have identified shortcomings at some manufacturing facilities, including rusty equipment. The department is strengthening surveillance and enforcement to improve compliance across the pharmaceutical sector.
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