After Coimbatore, Aavin launches low-fat 'cow milk' in Tirunelveli, but at higher price

CHENNAI:  Two months after rebranding its standardised milk to ‘cow milk’, thereby reducing the product's fat content from 4.5% to 3.5% in the Coimbatore district, Aavin has recently introduced ‘cow milk’ with 3.5 % fat in the Tirunelveli district too.
 
Interestingly, 500 ml of cow milk (3.5% fat) is priced at Rs 22.50 in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Coimbatore districts, while the maximum retail price (MRP) of standardised milk having 4.5% fat is Rs 22 in the rest of the state.

While the move is being dubbed as a backdoor attempt at increasing the milk price, the Coimbatore and Tirunelveli district co-operative milk producers’ unions say they have introduced low-fat ‘cow milk’ to reduce the financial loss on account of milk shortage.

T R Diyanesh Babu, general manager of Tirunelveli district co-operative milk producers’ union, in his recent order said, “Considering the financial condition of our district union and to increase the sale of milk, 'cow milk' will be distributed in place of standardised milk from March 1.” The Coimbatore district union sells 7 lakh litres of milk daily, while the Tirunelveli union vends 1.95 lakh litres.

Industry sources said when the raw milk procured from the dairy farmers failed to meet the fat and solid-not-fat (SNF) levels prescribed for each milk variant, buttercream will be mixed with the product during processing at diaries. “The Aavin has exhausted its stocks of butter. Hence, it is unable to enhance the fat and SNF levels of the milk,” said a former official from Aavin.

The FSSAI-approved levels of fat and SNF content for full cream milk are 6% and 9% respectively, 4.5% and 8.5% for standardised milk, and 3% and 8.5% for toned milk. N Subbaiyan, managing director of Aavin and milk commissioner, said, “The Tirunelveli union has launched another variant of milk (cow milk) to increase its sales. Reducing the fat content might help them bring down their expenses. There has been no significant drop in milk procurement. We receive 34 lakhs litres of milk daily from societies across the state.”

Meanwhile, S A Ponnusamy, president of the Tamil Nadu milk dealers welfare association, claimed the milk from cows and buffalos procured by Aavin is being transported from societies to chilling stations to diaries in the same containers. "Then how can they brand the product as 'cow milk'? The authorities should have reduced the milk prices," he added.