The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a firm warning on Friday regarding the sale of human milk and its derivatives, emphasizing that commercializing mother’s milk is prohibited in the nation.

In response to complaints from various registered societies about the commercialization of human milk and its products, the FSSAI released an advisory note stating that the processing and selling of human milk is not authorized under the FSS Act, 2006, and its regulations.

The advisory stressed the immediate cessation of all activities related to the commercialization of human milk and its products. It warned that any violation of this directive could lead to action against food business operators (FBOs) as per the FSS Act, 2006, and its associated rules.

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Furthermore, the FSSAI instructed licensing authorities not to grant approval to units involved in the sale of human milk, emphasizing that both state and central licensing authorities must ensure that no licenses or registrations are issued to FBOs engaged in processing or selling ‘Mother’s milk/Human milk.’

Regarding the donation of human milk, national guidelines dictate that Donor Human Milk (DHM) cannot be utilized for commercial purposes. Instead, it should be provided to newborns and infants admitted to health facilities with Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres (CLMCs).

The regulations specify that the donation of human breast milk should be voluntary and non-compensated, with no monetary benefits for the donor. The donated milk is intended to be used free of charge to nourish newborns and infants of other mothers in the hospital.

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