The Indian government has implemented comprehensive food safety measures in response to both domestic health concerns and international market pressures. According to reports from Business Standard, in October 2024, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published a list of antibiotics banned for use at any stage during production of meat, milk, poultry, eggs and aquaculture products. The authority also established tolerance limits for permissible antibiotics, requiring producers to ensure residues in food did not exceed stipulated thresholds.
In May 2025, the Union health ministry issued a draft notification banning the veterinary use of 34 of the 37 antibiotics that the EU classifies as critical for humans. As reported by Business Standard, this notification was notified in September 2025 and stated that safer alternatives were available for treating diseases in animals. In May 2026, the EU revised its exclusion list and added India to the list of countries permitted to export animal products to the bloc after September 2026.
According to Business Standard analysis, 2,700 food consignments from India were rejected in 2024-25. These rejections included spices, rice, pulses and lentils, flagged for excessive or unapproved pesticide residues. The report indicates that these regulations apply not just for food destined for the EU but will also protect domestic health through stricter food safety standards.
As reported by Business Standard, importing countries have developed monitoring systems based on quality and residue checks in authorized laboratories and at borders. The EU plans to ensure compliance with its directive by requiring every shipment to have a health certificate issued by a government agency, not by the exporting company. The system includes audits in exporting countries and spot checks at borders, designed to increase physical inspections when analytic checks fail.
According to Business Standard, farmers currently use antibiotics for three purposes: promoting growth in animals, preventing diseases due to lack of hygiene or high animal density, and treating diseases. The report highlights that the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has worked with farmers to promote ethnomedicine — traditional practices for managing animal health — demonstrating it is possible to reduce antibiotic use. This represents a shift from relying on chemical solutions to improving conditions for animal breeding and food production.
