NE NEWS SERVICE
ANAND, MAY 26
Leading dairy firm Amul on Tuesday said the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has dismissed three petitions filed against an advertisement of the company which stated that plant-based products like soya beverages are not milk.
In a statement, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which sells products under the Amul brand, said the three complaints were filed by Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Sharan India.
The complaints were filed before the ASCI against an advertisement issued by it in public interest on March 24.
In the ad, Amul said it tried to expose the falsity behind claims being circulated regarding milk. The ad mentioned that “plant based dairy analogue products like soya beverages, are not milk”.
“The ASCI dismissed all three Complaints filed by Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Sharan India thereby, upholding the correctness of the contentions in the Advertisement,” GCMMF said in a statement.
Amul said the complainants alleged that the contentions made in the advertisement were false.
They made claims that milk is not a complete food, harmful to health and less nutritious than plant-based food; that dairy farming is not good for cattle, which are subjected to cruelty; and that plant-based beverages are a more sustainable food system as compared to dairy milk.
In response to the said complaints, Amul said it filed replies before the ASCI wherein the dairy firm substantiated the facts stated in the advertisement with scientific findings, published reports and unambiguous statutory provisions as incorporated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the allied regulations.
Amul demonstrated how the allegations made in the complaints were false, baseless and motivated, the statement said.
The ASCI, while adjudicating upon the Complaints, after considering the Replies filed by AMUL, upheld the contentions of AMUL on all counts while observing that there is sufficient scientific data to prove that milk is nutritious and a rich source of calcium, vitamins, carbohydrates, fat, minerals and protein. Thus, milk can be called complete food as it contains all essential nutritive ingredients required for sustenance. Also, as per FSSAI guidelines milk is considered as a vegetarian product. Plant based beverages also have proteins and beneficial minerals, however, most plant-based milks have lower protein content than milk. The ASCI dismissed all three Complaints filed by Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Sharan India thereby, upholding the correctness of the contentions in the Advertisement.
The ASCI also observed that plant-based milk is not covered under the definition of “Milk” as per the FSSAI and also upheld the contention of AMUL that “plant based beverages are impersonating and masquerading as dairy products” as not objectionable.
The said advertisement had been issued by AMUL in public interest and out of concern for the sudden surge in misleading articles and videos published by various individuals/entities who claim to be animal activists, through electronic and social media accusing the dairy industry of being involved in animal cruelty and simultaneously disparaging and defaming AMUL and its products. Such articles and videos continuously circulate false and misleading information such as – “Dairy industry inflicts cruelty on animals”, “Milk causes cancer and various other ailments”, “Plant-based beverages are healthier than milk” and “Plant-based beverages can be legally termed as ‘Milk’”. AMUL has reasons to believe that such articles and videos are sponsored by companies who are in business of manufacturing and selling lab foods such as plant based beverages, falsely labelling it as “milk”. The organisation further says that the false notions about the dairy industry is part of a well-planned propaganda and marketing strategy to instil guilt and fear in the minds of the public and to defame and disparage not only ‘Milk’ but also associations like AMUL.
Delhi High Court issues notice and sought response from the Centre, Delhi Govt, FSSAI and plant-based food companies
AMUL has initiated several proceedings against such articles and videos, before the Delhi High Court through its Counsel, Advocate Abhishek Singh. The Delhi High Court, in such cases has either passed injunctions against the individuals directing them to remove the disparaging contents or have directed them to remove all references towards AMUL. The High Court in some cases has also directed individuals to produce bank statements to ascertain whether such disparaging articles/videos had been sponsored by entities dealing in plant based food and beverages.
In India, poverty and unemployment is highly prevalent. Often, typically in rural India, cattle are the only source of wealth. Cows are domesticated for their milk, used for tilling the farms, for transport, and also their dung. In an agrarian economy such as India, milk helps sustain the lives of 100 million landless and marginal farmers and dairy farming contributes 110 billion USD to the GDP. On the other hand, soybeans, almonds and other plant raw materials used for making plant based extracts/beverages are mostly imported from other countries and profits earned therefrom are mostly repatriated to foreign companies based abroad. Unlike organizations such as AMUL, the plant-based food industry neither contributes to the GDP of the country, nor contributes to the livelihood or uplift of the farmers and the agricultural sector.
Holding the fort for the dairy sector, the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), the apex organisation for the cooperative dairy sector, has most of the dairy cooperative societies, including AMUL, as its members and being the stakeholder for approximately 17.2 million dairy farmers, approached the Delhi High Court by way of a Writ Petition, filed by their Advocate, Abhishek Singh, against the food-safety regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and companies such as Hersheys, Rakyan Beverages Pvt. Ltd., Istore Direct Trading Pvt. Ltd. (Urban Platter) and Drums Food International Pvt. Ltd. (Epigamia), which companies are in the business of selling plant-based beverages like soy drinks and almond drinks illegally labelling them as “milk”. The Petition is directed against the illegal use of the term “milk” and dairy terms for plant-based foods/beverages, the use of which is against statutory provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the allied Regulations. The Petition came up before the Delhi High Court, on Monday, May 24, 2021, wherein the Delhi High Court while noting that it is an interesting issue, issued notice and sought response from the Centre, Delhi Government, FSSAI and plant-based food companies on the same.
