FSSAI Declares Yak As Food Animal: Report

The Food Safety & Standard Authority of India  (FSSAI) has declared the Himalayan Yak can be utilized within the dairy market. The determination was reportedly taken after the Arunachal Pradesh-based ICAR-National Research Centre (ICARN)  had written a letter to FSSAI, an company Under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, final yr. 

Elated by the optimistic response, ICARN director Dr Mihir Sarkar stated that FSSAI’s determination will assist the Yak farmers commercially and enhance its manufacturing system, stories said.

He added, “It is much less remunerative as a result of the 2 principal merchandise, yak milk and meat, weren’t a part of the standard dairy and meat industries, as this animal was not authorized by the FSSAI as a meals animal. However, the approval will promote industrial yak rearing and consumption of yak meat and milk.”

Highlighting the nutritional values, Mr Sarkar added yak milk contains 78 to 82 per cent water and it is rich in fats and other essential minerals. The add-on products of Yak milk, much like other milk available in the market, are ghee and paneer. 

For the unversed, the Himalayan Yak is found in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and North Bengal among other places.

As per a Live Stock census, released by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the total bovine population (Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun and Yak) is 303.76 million in 2019 which shows an increase of 1.3% over the previous census. The total Mithun and Yak in the country is 3.9 lakh and 58,000 in 2019, increased by 29.5% and 24.9%, respectively over the previous Census.