Banned or restricted substance
Is Chinese milk banned in India? Melamine and the dairy import ban
Last checked 19 September 2026. A few details are still being checked against the original document.
India has prohibited the import of milk and milk products from China since September 2008, following the melamine contamination scandal, and has extended the prohibition repeatedly; the current extension's expiry is being verified.
- Classification
- Prohibited (Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006)
- Decided by
- Directorate General of Foreign Trade; FSSAI
- Reference
- DGFT notification prohibiting import of milk and milk products from China, September 2008, with subsequent extensions (current notification:, being verified
- Latest action
- 1 September 2008
- Last checked
- 19 September 2026details being verified
Photo: Antiguan honey products at an exhibition in Saint Lucia.jpg by Government of Antigua and Barbuda (Public domain). All photo credits.
India extends ban on milk and dairy product imports from China
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.
Key facts
- Since
- September 2008
- Trigger
- Melamine added to Chinese milk to fake protein content; infant illnesses and deaths in China
- Products covered
- Milk and milk products including chocolates, candies and food preparations containing milk or milk solids
- Extensions
- Renewed in one-year and multi-year steps; USDA FAS reported an extension (year:, being verified
- Melamine limit in India
- Set in the Contaminants Regulations for infant formula and other foods (values:, being verified
In 2008 Chinese dairy processors were found to have added melamine, a nitrogen-rich industrial chemical, to milk so that it would test as higher in protein. Hundreds of thousands of infants were affected and several died of kidney damage. Regulators worldwide restricted Chinese dairy, and India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade prohibited the import of milk and milk products from China in September 2008.
The prohibition has been extended repeatedly since, typically by notification for a further year or more, and its scope covers not only milk and milk powder but chocolates, confectionery and food preparations containing milk or milk solids of Chinese origin. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service has tracked the extensions. The notification currently in force and its expiry date are to be confirmed.
Separately, India's Contaminants, Toxins and Residues Regulations set maximum melamine levels for infant formula and other foods, so the import ban is reinforced by a domestic standard. The two instruments together are the basis for the correct statement that Chinese milk products are banned in India.
What this means for you
No legal Chinese dairy on Indian shelves
Any milk-based product of Chinese origin found on sale entered outside the permitted channels.
Melamine is also a domestic limit
India's Contaminants Regulations set melamine limits for all foods, so the ban and the standard work together.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Official sources and primary records
- India extends ban on milk and dairy product imports from ChinaRegulatorUSDA Foreign Agricultural Service