Food safety regulator FSSAI on Monday withdrew its recent advisory directing food businesses to remove claims of ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ grades of milk and milk products from packaging. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said the advisory was withdrawn pending further consultation with stakeholders. This would mean that food business operators (FBOs) can continue to sell and market their products with claims of ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ grades of milk.

A1 and A2 milk differ in their beta-casein protein composition, which varies depending on the cow breed.

In a new communication on Monday, the regulator said: “The communication dated 21 August 2024 … is withdrawn for further consultations and discussions with stakeholders.”

The FSSAI, in its statement dated August 21, had asked FBOs to remove the claims ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ from their products. E-commerce platforms were also asked to immediately remove these claims from products and websites.

The regulator had stated that the information provided on milk and milk products of the ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ types did not comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

After an investigation, the FSSAI had found that the differentiation between A1 and A2 is related to the structure of the beta-casein protein in milk. However, the current FSSAI regulations do not take this differentiation into account. The August 21 advisory also asked FBOs to use up pre-printed labels within six months, with no further extensions being granted.