Protests by politicians from non-Hindi speaking states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka after ‘dahi’ was written on curd packets have now forced India’s food regulator to issue a clarification.
An official of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) told BLiTZ on Thursday that the directive on the use of curd on packets across the country has been clarified. Now milk co-operative societies and curd-making companies can write the names of Mosru, Jamut Daud, Tayir and Perugu etc. on the packets apart from curd.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had called it an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi states. After which this explanation has come.
FSSI had issued a notification on January 11 this year asking for the removal of the word ‘curd’.
In a statement on Thursday, FSSAI said, “There have been many reactions in the recent past regarding the removal of the word ‘Cord’. Now it has been decided that FBOs can also write other regional names along with Curd on the label.
According to the regulator, ‘Food Safety and Standards have clearly laid down guidelines as to which products the word dairy can and cannot be used for.
It states, ‘If curd is also written with curd, then its use will be restricted to non-dairy products.’
Hence the notification was issued earlier which has now been clarified and the use of regional names has been allowed, an official said.
Curd is also widely used in milk products along with ghee and butter.
According to a report by International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group, the size of the yogurt industry in India was estimated to be around Rs 1.18 lakh crore in 2021 and could reach Rs 2.78 lakh crore by 2027.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had said on Wednesday that FSSAI should also respect local sentiments. Not only Stalin, but Karnataka BJP president K Annamalai also said that the directive was not in line with the central government’s policy of promoting regional languages.
Annamalai had tweeted, “The FSSAI notification for the use of the word curd in curd pouches produced by state cooperatives is not in line with our PM Modi’s policy to promote regional languages.” It should be withdrawn immediately.
SM Nassar, a senior Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation official and minister who sells milk under the Aavin brand, said he prefers the Tamil word ‘tayir’ for the state curd. That’s why they will also try to keep the same name.
The sudden change in the nomenclature in the poll-bound state of Karnataka also saw murmurs of protest from leaders of the ruling BJP.
JDS leader and former Chief Minister of the state suspected that there was an attempt to hijack Nandini’s products after the rule was implemented on the Karnataka Milk Federation, which sells milk, curd, ghee and sweets in Karnataka under the name Nandini.
The JDS leader tweeted that it was like imposing Hindi on Kannadas.
He said, ‘Despite knowing that Kannadas do not like the imposition of Hindi. FSSAI’s direction that KMF should write dahi on its brand Nandini’s curd packet is wrong.
He said that despite knowing that Nandini is the property, identity and lifeline of Kannada people, the arrogance of imposing Hindi is visible. He said that Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah had said during his visit to Mandya that Nandini would be merged with Amul of Gujarat.
It seems that under pressure from all sides, FSSAI has given its clarification in time.
