Maharashtra FDA Mandates 'Mother's Milk Is Best' Warning on Packaged Infant Food

Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration has issued a directive requiring packaged infant food to carry the warning "Mother's Milk Is Best For Your Baby", extending the agency's widening scrutiny of food safety compliance across the state.

The order applies to infant food products, including supplementary foods and cereals meant for children up to two years of age. Food safety commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said surveys conducted across Maharashtra found packaged food products failing to meet mandatory requirements, with the missing breastfeeding advisory among the major violations. Manufacturers have been told to comply with the Infant Food Regulation Act and its related rules.

The directive does not ban formula milk. Such products may remain on sale as long as manufacturers meet the prescribed regulatory conditions.

Citing state data, Mundhe said breastfeeding rates stand at 75.2% in rural Maharashtra against 52.8% in urban areas. He described the urban figure as a concern, indicating that a substantial share of mothers in the state's cities do not breastfeed their infants. He also said supplementary foods should be introduced only after a baby turns six months old, and that infant food packaging should not carry images of mothers or babies. Companies are further barred from advertising or promoting infant food products.

The directive is the latest in a series of enforcement actions under Mundhe, 51, who took charge as Maharashtra's food safety chief in May. His team has raided more than 3,000 food businesses in Mumbai and suspended the operations of several US food chains, including Domino's, Pizza Hut and McDonald's, besides acting against cricket clubs, hotels and well-known restaurants.

On Monday, a team led by Mundhe suspended the food licence of Kyani & Co, a 122-year-old Irani cafe in Mumbai, after an inspection revealed multiple hygiene and food safety violations. Officials reported finding cats, rat droppings, live flies and dead cockroaches in areas used for preparing and storing food.

Mundhe has said authorities will maintain strict enforcement and pursue legal action against establishments found selling or storing expired or tampered food products, or handling food in unhygienic conditions.