The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to introduce a digital milk tracking system within six months to one year to trace milk from dairies and collection centres back to individual animals, aiming to curb adulteration and strengthen food safety across the state.

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced the proposed initiative at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2026. The system will use animal ear-tag identification data and information from the Animal Husbandry Department to match milk production records with details of tagged animals. This could help authorities identify discrepancies, trace the source of suspected adulteration and improve accountability across the dairy supply chain.

The FDA has already begun inspecting milk collection centres across Maharashtra to check for adulteration, unsafe milk and compliance with prescribed hygiene, collection and manufacturing practices. According to Mundhe, hundreds of milk collection centres have been identified for inspection, with teams working to trace milk back to individual farmers.

The proposed digital system is expected to connect information across farmers, collection centres, chilling facilities and dairies. By improving traceability, authorities aim to identify the origin of contaminated or adulterated milk more quickly and strengthen enforcement against non-compliant operators.

The initiative comes amid wider concerns about milk adulteration in India. According to the Union Government, 33,405 samples of milk and milk products were analysed during FY 2024–25, of which 12,780 were found non-conforming to prescribed standards. Authorities also launched 12,057 cases against defaulting food business operators during the same period.

Mundhe said compliance had begun improving at some milk collection centres, chilling centres and dairies following inspections and enforcement action. He emphasised that food safety requires coordinated participation from government agencies, food businesses and consumers.

The proposed tracking system is part of Maharashtra’s broader effort to strengthen food safety surveillance and improve accountability in the dairy sector. Its effectiveness will depend on reliable animal identification records, accurate milk-production data and consistent implementation across the supply chain.