FSSAI Strengthens Food Safety Rules for Milk Vending Machines

To protect public health and ensure fair food trade practices, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued new guidelines for dairy businesses selling milk and milk products through vending machines, kiosks, and other automated dispensing systems.

Why This Step Was Taken
Milk adulteration remains a major concern in India. Since many consumers depend on vending machines and kiosk systems for fresh milk and dairy products, maintaining strict food safety standards is important. 

These new measures aim to:

Improve safety and quality of milk and milk products
Increase customer trust
Promote transparency in food handling and sale
Ensure compliance with national food safety standards
To help prevent adulteration and ensure consumer confidence, all dairy units operating vending machines or kiosks must make available FSSAI approved rapid test kits at the vending location. These kits allow quick testing for common adulterants.

Requirements for Dairy Operators

FSSAI has instructed dairy businesses to follow these key rules:

Clear instructions must be displayed explaining how to use the rapid test kit.
Consumers should be allowed to: test the milk themselves at the kiosk, or request a trained staff member to demonstrate the test.
The testing kits must be properly stored and used before their expiry date.
A record of test results and usage of kits must be maintained for monitoring and safety audits.

Building a Participatory Food Safety Culture

These directions are aimed at promoting shared responsibility between regulators, food businesses, and consumers. By enabling self checking and transparency at the point of sale, the initiative supports a stronger and more reliable dairy supply chain.