In the internet era, TRP (Television Rating Points) can make people do just about anything 😂. Here in the Indian subcontinent—our beloved Hindustan—internet access is easy and dirt cheap. The TRP game runs on a massive scale. You won’t find many eager to toil in the fields, but there’s an abundance of folks dreaming of YouTube and podcast stardom.
Shri Devinder Sharma, like me, must be old now. He has always stood for protecting the interests of Indian farmers. His views on Indian agriculture were quite similar to those of Dr. Kurien, Amul, and NDDB. He supported us when we were under tremendous attack during the 1980s from the likes of Bharat Dogra, Claude Alvares, Shanti George, Baviskar, etc. But in this TRP-driven age, his coining of a term like “Non-Veg Milk” is, to say the least, innovative indeed.
Did Devinder Sharma Coin ‘Non-Veg Milk’?
There is no evidence that Devinder Sharma first coined the term “non-veg milk” in the context of US dairy imports to India. While Sharma has written and posted extensively about opposing such import on economic grounds (e.g., protecting Indian farmers from subsidized US dairy products), searches across web sources, articles, and his social media posts do not show him using or originating the phrase.
If the source of food is the determinant of whether it’s vegetarian or non-vegetarian, then all milk—from cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, camels, and even mother’s milk—can be deemed non-vegetarian. Foods taken directly from fields, farms, and trees, and consumed by humans without the intervention of any “living entity” like a cow, buffalo, or goat to convert them, are pure vegetarian. Any other argument brings in culture and religion, and there cannot be any debate on those beliefs—even in the 21st century—in countries like ours. This will only end up in an endless debate.
Some early readers of this blog sent interesting comments on FB and through email for which I am thinking for suitable replies.
“ One question,what about Mother’s Milk who eat Non veg food ?”
“A corollary to the dilemma
Bone Meal is used as a fertilizer for vegetables.
My comment would be,
If the Cows aren’t complaining………”
The real issue is tariffs. Why should India allow low-tariff imports of dairy products from the US and other developed countries? They give subsidies to their producers and now want Indian consumers to subsidize them too. This is not on… आ ना चाले 🙏
The Organic Birth of ‘Non-Veg Milk’ on Social Media
The term “non-veg milk,” in the specific context of dairy imports from the US to India (referring to milk from cows fed animal-derived products like blood meal or bone meal), first emerged in public discourse on X (formerly Twitter) on March 7, 2019. It arose during discussions around US-India trade tensions, where the US sought dairy market access but India resisted due to cultural, religious, and ethical concerns over such cattle feed practices. This was amid the US withdrawing India’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status, partly over dairy barriers.
The phrase wasn’t coined by a single prominent figure like an activist or journalist (e.g., not Devinder Sharma, as previously clarified). Instead, it originated organically in online conversations triggered by a post from economist and Swadeshi Jagran Manch co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan (@ashwani_mahajan), who highlighted the US proposal for India to import “milk sourced from cows fed with blood and non veg meal.” Early responses and quotes adapted this to describe the milk itself as “non-veg.”
Earliest Mentions
• The earliest explicit use of a variant (“nonveg-milk”) in this context appears in a reply by X user @saasira (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि) at approximately 6:35 AM GMT on March 7, 2019.
• Slightly later that day (around 7:12 AM GMT), X user @kutty983 (Narayanan) used “Non Veg Milk” while quoting another post on the same issue.
Prior mentions of “non-veg milk” exist in unrelated contexts (e.g., debates over whether milk qualifies as vegetarian due to its animal origin, or contamination issues), but none tie to US dairy imports before this date. The term gained traction from there, appearing in Indian media reports by mid-2019 and resurfacing in trade talks in subsequent years.
The Trade Drama: Stalled Talks and Economic Stakes in 2025
As of July 27, 2025, “non-veg milk” continues to be a flashpoint in US-India trade negotiations, with bilateral trade targeting $500 billion by 2030 but dairy access remaining elusive.
US Dairy Imports to India (2023–2025)
• 2023: US dairy exports to India totaled approximately $42 million, a tiny fraction (<0.5%) of US global dairy exports ($8.2 billion). Focused on specialties like pharmaceutical lactose and limited cheese/whey.
• 2024: Values around $39–$42 million; global US exports at 2.23 million MT milk solids equivalent (down 0.4% YoY). India’s total dairy imports <1,000 MT, US share negligible.
• 2025 Projections: Below $50 million; India’s production rising to 216.5 million MT. Opening markets could cost Indian farmers Rs 1.03 lakh crore (~$12.3 billion) annually.
India exports more dairy to the US ($180 million in 2023–24), creating a surplus. Sources: USDA FAS, USDEC, India’s Ministry of Commerce.
Imports from the US have been effectively blocked since 2003 due to health certificates and barriers.
Cultural and Religious Lenses: Milk Purity and Sacred Cows
The term “non-veg milk” is not a standardized scientific or nutritional classification but has been used, particularly in Indian contexts, to describe milk from cows fed diets containing animal-derived proteins or by-products (such as blood meal, bone meal, meat meal, fish meal, or animal fats). This labeling arises primarily from cultural, religious, and ethical sensitivities rather than biological or dietary science.
In India, where a significant portion of the population follows vegetarianism influenced by Hinduism, Jainism, or other traditions, the purity of milk is often tied to the cow’s diet. Cows are considered sacred, and their feed is expected to be strictly plant-based (e.g., grass, grains, straw, or oil cakes). If a cow consumes animal-source proteins, the resulting milk is deemed “impure” or “non-vegetarian” because it indirectly incorporates animal elements through the feed chain. This view gained prominence in US-India trade disputes, where India has resisted importing American dairy products due to US farming practices allowing such feeds to boost protein intake and milk yield.
“Imagine eating butter made from the milk of a cow that was fed meat and blood from another cow. India may never allow that.”
– An expert in public and media discussions highlighting trade barriers and religious sentiments.
For instance, Indian regulators and experts argue that milk from these cows should carry a “non-veg” label, as proposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2021-22. This is driven by consumer preferences for “100% vegetarian feed” or “organic veg feed” labels, with organizations like Akhil Bhartiya Gauseva Sangh promoting milk from indigenous cows on plant-only diets. Public and media discussions often highlight this as a barrier to trade, with estimates suggesting imports could harm local farmers economically while offending religious sentiments. In this context, yes, such milk can be and is called “non-veg milk,” as it’s seen as conflicting with vegetarian ideals. This term resurfaced in 2025 amid stalled bilateral trade talks.
Scientific and Nutritional Views: Is It Really ‘Non-Veg’?
From a global nutritional standpoint, milk is classified as vegetarian (specifically lacto-vegetarian) because it is an animal-derived product but not flesh or meat. The cow’s feed does not alter the milk’s fundamental composition—it’s still primarily lactose, proteins (like casein), fats, and water produced by the cow’s mammary glands. Animal-source proteins in feed are metabolized by the cow for energy and growth, but they don’t directly transfer into the milk as “animal matter.” Laboratory tests can detect subtle markers like fatty acid profiles or carnitine levels potentially influenced by feed, but there’s no reliable, definitive method to distinguish “veg-fed” from “non-veg-fed” milk. Studies generally find such milk safe and nutritionally similar, with no significant health or taste differences.
Vegetarianism and its subtypes
One comprehensive overview defines vegetarianism broadly as the exclusion of meat, with subtypes based on restrictiveness. It classifies diets as:
• Flexitarian (sporadic meat consumption, up to once a week; excludes red meat but may include white meat).
• Pescatarian (excludes all meats except fish and seafood).
• Ovolactovegetarian (excludes all meats but includes dairy and eggs).
• Vegan (excludes all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and items from animal exploitation). Borderline items are addressed explicitly: dairy and eggs are permitted in ovolactovegetarian diets but contribute to higher environmental impacts compared to veganism, while fish is only in pescatarian variants.
US dairy exporters and some experts counter that milk remains vegetarian regardless of feed, as it’s not derived directly from meat. In Western contexts, feed practices including animal by-products are common and regulated for safety (e.g., to prevent diseases like mad cow), but they don’t change the product’s vegetarian label.
However, some scientific arguments challenge milk’s vegetarian status altogether, regardless of feed: Milk contains animal DNA, proteins, fats, white blood cells, pus cells, gland cells, and bacteria, and it’s produced from the cow’s blood via biochemical processes. This leads some to argue it’s inherently non-vegetarian by origin, similar to why eggs are classified as non-veg in India. In this broader view, feed with animal proteins could reinforce the “non-veg” label.
Vegan and Ethical Angles: Beyond Feed
Vegans reject all dairy as non-vegan because it involves animal exploitation—cows are repeatedly impregnated, separated from calves, and milked until exhausted—regardless of feed. Animal-source feed adds another layer of ethical concern, as it involves by-products from slaughtered animals, but this doesn’t change milk’s status; it’s already excluded. Interestingly, human breast milk is considered vegan under standard definitions when consensual.
Public Buzz and Polarized Opinions
Online discussions, especially on platforms like X, reflect polarized views. Some users explicitly call US-produced milk “non-veg” due to cows being fed bone and meat, linking it to trade issues. Others argue milk is non-veg scientifically or ethically, urging a reclassification. These represent stakeholders from activists to everyday consumers, often biased toward cultural norms or anti-dairy ethics.
Quality Standards: The ‘Non-Veg’ Feed Clause in Action
Contrary to some assertions, India’s import requirements for milk and milk products do include specific clauses that preclude non-vegetarian sources in the diet of cows (or other source animals).
Key Clause from Veterinary Health Certificate
From the integrated Veterinary Health Certificate for Import of Milk and Milk Products into India (effective November 1, 2024, with updates):
Section II. CERTIFICATION, General Conditions, clause 1(a):
“The source animals have never been fed with feeds produced from meat or bone meal including internal organs, blood meal and tissues of ruminant origin and porcine origin materials except milk and milk products.”
This directly prohibits non-veg feeds, enforced by DAHD and FSSAI under SPS measures to address purity, health risks like mad cow disease, and cultural concerns.
India applies stringent quality parameters under Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017:
• Health Certification: Mandatory certificate on no animal feeds or hormones.
• Compositional Standards: Fat content, no pathogens (e.g., Salmonella), residue limits.
• Plant Approval: US facilities registered with FSSAI since Sep 2024.
• Labeling: Veg/non-veg declarations, nutritional info.
• Tariffs: 30–150%, plus quantitative restrictions.
These reflect religio-cultural purity, differing from US risk-based approaches, and are WTO-notified but seen as protectionist.
In summary, yes, such milk can be called “non-veg milk” in contexts where the cow’s diet matters culturally or religiously, as evidenced by Indian trade policies and public sentiment. However, in scientific or standard dietary terms, it’s still vegetarian, though not vegan. The label is subjective and context-dependent, representing a blend of tradition, ethics, and economics rather than universal fact. If you’re asking from a specific cultural viewpoint (e.g., Indian vegetarianism), it’s more likely to be deemed non-veg; otherwise, the feed doesn’t typically alter its classification.
Cheese with Animal Rennet: India’s Effective Ban and Links to Dairy Trade
India effectively bans importing cheese made with animal rennet, classifying it as non-vegetarian under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rules. Per FSSAI standards, cheese must be coagulated using non-animal rennet or suitable agents—applying to both domestic and imported products.
The import ban on animal rennet dates to 1984, driven by advocacy for vegetarian-friendly cheese aligning with cultural and religious sensitivities. While some foreign cheeses with animal rennet have slipped in historically (e.g., for hotels), it’s not officially allowed, with stricter enforcement now. All legal cheese in India uses microbial or vegetable rennet.
Related barriers, like veterinary certificates mandating no animal-derived feeds (e.g., blood or bone meal) for dairy animals, further block imports from countries like the US where such practices occur.
The Green Dot Dilemma for Milk
Can milk packs carry the green veg dot 🟢 if produced from cows fed offals, blood meal, or bone meal? In India, the green dot signifies vegetarian products (no meat/eggs, but dairy ok), while brown/red denotes non-veg. Milk is typically labeled green as lacto-vegetarian.
However, if feed includes animal products, it raises “non-veg milk” concerns culturally/religiously, potentially warranting a brown dot or rejection. FSSAI doesn’t explicitly tie labeling to feed, but import rules preclude such milk via certificates, keeping non-compliant products out on “quality” grounds. This could strategically block imports without direct tariffs.
What are your thoughts—endless debate or tariff focus? Drop a comment!
