Fact-check
Are A1/A2 milk claims banned in India?
Last checked 19 September 2026. A few details are still being checked against the original document.
A1 and A2 milk claims are not prohibited in India; FSSAI's advisory of around 21 Aug 2024 asking dairies to remove them was withdrawn on 26 Aug 2024, and no regulation has since defined or restricted the terms.
- Classification
- Earlier notice or order withdrawn
- Decided by
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Reference
- FSSAI advisory ~21 Aug 2024 (being verified); withdrawal 26 Aug 2024
- Latest action
- 26 August 2024
- Last checked
- 19 September 2026details being verified
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FSSAI withdraws advisory on removal of claims of A1, A2 types of milk
We have not yet found this action in a published government document. Treat it as reported, not confirmed. If you have the order, send it to us.
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 Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date.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 explain what has been reported. The report above is the best source we hold.
Key facts
- Is A2 milk banned?
- No
- Are A1/A2 claims prohibited?
- No; the August 2024 advisory was withdrawn within days
- Is A2 certified?
- No Indian standard defines or tests for A2 milk
- Science
- Health differences between A1 and A2 beta-casein remain contested
Where the claim comes from
The 'A2 milk banned' claim comes from the five days in August 2024 between FSSAI's advisory telling dairies to remove A1/A2 claims and its withdrawal of that advisory on 26 Aug 2024. Coverage of the first step outlasted coverage of the second.
A2 milk is sold at a premium on the basis that its beta-casein protein is the A2 variant rather than A1, a distinction associated with certain cattle breeds and with contested claims about digestion and health. Around 21 Aug 2024 FSSAI issued an advisory saying that 'A1' and 'A2' claims were not recognised under the Food Safety and Standards regulations and should be removed from milk and milk-product labels. Five days later, on 26 Aug 2024, the regulator withdrew the advisory for further consultation.
Nothing has replaced it. A2 claims remain legal because no regulation prohibits them, and they remain unverified because no Indian standard defines what qualifies as A2 milk or specifies a test for it. Milk sold as A2 must meet the same compositional and safety standards as any other milk; the A2 label adds no regulatory assurance beyond that.
The withdrawn advisory is the sole regulatory event on this subject, and it is why the question 'is A2 milk banned' still appears. It is not.
What this means for you
Buy it if you like, but know what the label means
'A2' is a marketing claim without an official test behind it. The safety standards for milk are the same whatever the beta-casein type.
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
- FSSAI withdraws advisory on removal of claims of A1, A2 types of milkNewsBusiness Standard · 26 August 2024