Amul, Mother Dairy, and other national and local milk co-operative brands that dominate India’s dairy sector have taken note of the increased popularity, if not success, of soy, oat, and other milk substitutes.
According to The Economic Times, India’s market for plant-based milk and meat substitutes is fairly small, with estimates ranging between Rs 200 and Rs 300 crore for the milk alternatives sector. Dairy firms, who dominate a Rs 1.5 lakh crore industry, are concerned because they believe plant-based milk is inferior to dairy milk.
“If you develop plant-based products, make sure to designate them as synthetic with natural components, artificial colour, and flavour.” You eat food for three reasons: taste, nutrition, and affordability. These objects do not meet any of these requirements.
They have no natural components. They have a nutritional deficiency (to milk protein). They are not derived from plants; rather, they are derived from chemicals. According to the journal, the managing director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, RS Sodhi, owner of the Amul brand, said, “They are artificial.”
Young people are getting more interested in becoming vegans as more celebrities become vegans for ethical or health reasons. However, in a country like India, where a huge section of the population lives in poverty, finding cheap dairy substitutes is not an option for everyone. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has also asked Amul to consider whether or not to create vegan milk. PETA wrote to Sodhi, suggesting that the booming vegan food and milk sector should assist the dairy cooperative organisation.
“Did you know that the majority of dairy farmers are landless?” Your designs have the ability to destroy their sole source of revenue. “Milk, on the other hand, is a simple and always available source of nutrition in our beliefs, rituals, taste, and eating habits,” Sodhi observed.
Amul allegedly prepared a commercial in March claiming to refute the myth that the dairy industry is damaging to animals. The controversy has now reached the courts, with the Delhi High Court protecting five plant-based milk companies from any coercive measures for using “dairy terminology” in their marketing.
The food safety authority FSSAI issued new standards for classifying plant-based meals and other vegan alternatives in September, as well as a logo for “easy identification and separation from non-vegan foods to empower customers to make informed dietary choices.”