India’s Delhi High Court says the food regulator has no authority over animal feed, reshaping oversight of the dairy and livestock sectors.
India’s Delhi High Court has ruled that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) cannot regulate cattle and animal feed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The decision came after a legal challenge by Godrej Agrovet, which argued that the law only covers food intended for human consumption and not feed used in dairy or livestock production.
The court struck down a 2021 FSSAI provision that banned the use of meat and bone meal, blood meal and certain bovine and porcine byproducts in feed for milk- and meat-producing animals. The regulation had also required commercial animal feed manufacturers to comply with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification rules.
In its ruling, the court said the entire framework of the Food Safety and Standards Act is confined to food for human consumption. Judges stated that terms such as “food safety,” “unsafe food” and “sale of food” cannot be extended to include animal feed. As a result, FSSAI was found to have exceeded its legal powers by attempting to regulate feed used by dairy and livestock producers.
The judgment also removes mandatory BIS certification requirements for commercial feed unless India’s central government formally imposes them through separate legislation. The court emphasized that BIS standards remain voluntary unless specifically mandated, creating immediate relief for feed manufacturers and livestock businesses facing higher compliance costs.
For the international dairy industry, the ruling could have far-reaching implications. Feed manufacturers, dairy processors and livestock producers may now face a more fragmented regulatory environment, with responsibility potentially shifting to state governments or new national legislation. The case also highlights the growing importance of feed policy in countries where dairy productivity, animal nutrition and food safety are increasingly interconnected.
Source: Bar & Bench original article
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