Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and MSME Nitin Gadkari has suggested control on increased sale of “margarine” for edible purposes, citing health hazards and its adverse impact on demand for butter, which has affected dairy farmers.
The MVA government as well as BJP-led Opposition members from Maharashtra had approached Gadkari, seeking the Centre’s intervention to tackle the dairy farmers’ crisis.
Last week, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gadkari wrote about the growing use of margarine, an emulsion of edible vegetable oil, in hotels, restaurants and other places. “This is affecting adversely the health of people and sale of butter made from cow milk, causing financial losses to farmers. The government needs to have control over sale of margarine,” he said.
Subsequently, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India has issued directives to control the use of margarine in edible items. “The Centre’s initiative will help raise demand for butter made from cow milk and bring price stability and higher renumeration to dairy farmers,” Gadkari said.
