Dahi vs Curd: FSSAI revises order for Hindi label in curd packets after row erupts in TN, Karnataka

New Delhi/Chennai: Food safety regulator FSSAI's order early this month that the Hindi term 'Dahi' should be used in printed labels of curd packets was revised on Thursday after it stirred a political and language row in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

As the March 10 order to replace the English word 'Curd' with 'Dahi' left a sour taste in the two southern states, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said the Food Business Operators (FBOs) may use the term 'Curd' along with any other prevalent regional common name in brackets on the label.

For example, 'Curd (dahi)' in Hindi or 'Curd (mosaru) in Kannada, 'Curd (thayir)' in Tamil, 'Curd (perugu)' in Telugu can be used, the FSSAI said in a statement.

The order has been revised following various representations received recently on the omission of the term 'curd' from the Standards of Fermented Milk Products and mentioning only the word 'Dahi'.

"As many representations were received recently on the omission of the term 'Curd' from the Standards of Fermented Milk Products, it has been decided that FBOs may use the term curd along with any other designation (prevalent regional common name) in brackets on the label," the FSSAI said.

In its earlier directive issued to milk cooperatives and private dairy located in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the FSSAI had asked them to use the term 'Dahi' with prevalent regional names in brackets.

They were told to use regional nomenclature used in different states for 'Dahi' while labelling the product, like Dahi (curd), Dahi (mosaru), Dahi (thayir), Dahi (perugu).

The directive was issued to Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (KMF), Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagara District Cooperative Milk Producers Societies Union Ltd, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation and Hatsun Agro Products Ltd.

A row erupted after the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation -- which sells dairy products in brand name Aavin -- declined to use the Hindi term 'Dahi' in its printed sachets.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai welcomed Thursday's decision.

"Not dahi, its tayir only. FSSAI falls in line. The earlier order on writing Dahi on curd sachets has been withdrawn," he said in a tweet.

BJP state unit chief K Annamalai, who had earlier said the FSSAI notification was not in tandem with the Centre's policy of promoting regional languages, also hailed the decision.

"On behalf of @BJP4TamilNadu, we thank @fssaiindia for considering our request for a rollback of the notification released and for allowing the State-run co-operative milk societies to use their respective regional language instead of “Dahi” on curd sachets," he tweeted, On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin decried the earlier FSSAI move as an attempt to "impose Hindi". Dairy Development Minister SM Nasar said the government had received a letter asking it to implement the directive before August.

"The unabashed insistences of #HindiImposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil & Kannada in our own states. Such brazen disregard to our mother tongue will make sure those responsible are banished from South forever," Stalin, who is the DMK chief, said in a tweet.

Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy took exception to the inclusion of the term 'Dahi' on the curd packets of Nandini, a popular brand of the KMF.

In a series of tweets, the JD(S) second-in-command called it 'Hindi imposition' on Kannadigas.

"Knowing that Kannadigas are opposed to Hindi imposition, it is wrong for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to order KMF to print Hindi Dahi on the packet of Nandini probiotic curd," he said.

He said Nandini is the "property of the Kannadigas, the identity of the Kannadigas and the lifeline of the Kannadigas".

"Despite knowing this, the ego of Hindi imposition has been displayed," he added.