The Indian government has decided to extend the ban on Chinese milk and milk products due to presence of melamine, which can cause health hazards like kidney stones .jpg) The ban on Chinese milk and milk products has been extended for the next 6 months bythe Indian government, due to the presence of chemical particles that lead to health hazards.The ban was first imposed on December 1, 2008 for a period of 1 year. It was later extended for another 6 months on December 23, 2009. This initiative was undertaken by the Government of India (GoI) as it was detected that milk and milk products imported from China had presence of melamine particles, which are harmful for consumer health.
“Melamine is used to increase the protein content in milk. However, with the consumption of adulterated milk, consumers suffer from various diseases like kidney stones. As a result, the milk and milk products from China have been banned in India,” says Nirmal Pandey, director of Vaishno Devi Food Products Private Limited, a mid-sized suppliers and processors of milk and milk products in Pune.
Impact of ban on Chinese milk products
Milk is an essential protein rich food item among the Indian population. Therefore, the demand of milk has always been high. Imposing a ban on Chinese milk and milk products might affect availability of the commodity, which in turn would lead to soaring prices of the same in the domestic market.
On the other hand, with the ban on Chinese milk and milk products, Chinese exporters have been hard hit as India happens to be a key market for the former where consumer spending capacity has been rising.
“However, GoI has decided to ban the commodity in order to ensure protection of consumer health. Moreover, importation of these products could lead to the losses for retailers as most consumers, who are aware of the health hazards associated with these products would avoid purchasing the same,” says Arjun Desai, executive manager of Milkfoods Pvt Ltd, a mid-sized supplier of milk and milk products in Gurgaon. Therefore, banning the commodity would not only help consumers but also retailers in the domestic market.
Sabrina Mitchell |
