And whey protein explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The last block of the dairy chapter covers cheese and cheese products, edible casein and caseinates, edible lactose, milk protein and whey protein concentrates, colostrum and dairy permeate powders. Cheese is the largest of these, with named varieties, a composition table and a mozzarella table added in 2025. Cheese makers and sports-nutrition ingredient suppliers can start with FSSAI registration for food manufacturers.
This article reads the text as amended up to 21 October 2024 (FSSAI chapter compendium consolidated to amendment 83; the amendment of 10 July 2025 does not change this chapter). Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. A compendium is a reference consolidation; the Gazette text prevails.
Cheese must be made from milk heat treated at least equivalent to pasteurization. Its composition table gives maximum moisture and minimum milk fat for each type, from hard-pressed cheese to processed cheese spread. Regulation 2.1.19 is printed as omitted. Casein, lactose, MPC, WPC, colostrum and permeate powders each have a short parameter table, and additives must follow Appendix A, with microbiology under Appendix B.
Regulation 2.1.17: cheese, processed cheese and spreads
Cheese is the ripened or unripened soft, semi-hard, hard or extra-hard product in which the whey protein to casein ratio does not exceed that of milk. It is made by coagulating the protein of milk, skimmed milk, cream, whey cream or buttermilk with suitable non-animal enzymes or other coagulating agents and partly draining the whey. The standard distinguishes ripened, mould-ripened and unripened (fresh) cheese.
Named varieties each carry a descriptive paragraph: cheddar, danbo, edam, gouda, havarti, tilsiter, cottage and creamed cottage cheese, cream cheese, coulommiers, camembert, brie, saint paulin, samsoe, emmental, provolone, extra hard grating cheese and mozzarella. The mozzarella definition, with its high-moisture and low-moisture forms, was substituted by amendment.
Cheese products are prepared from cheese with other milk products. Processed cheese is ground, mixed, melted and emulsified with heat and emulsifying agents; non-dairy ingredients must not exceed one sixth of the weight of total solids on dry matter basis. Processed cheese spread is similar and may contain natural carbohydrate sweetening agents. The standard also defines whey cheeses (made by concentrating whey or coagulating it by heat) and cheeses in brine.
The composition table lists maximum moisture, minimum milk fat on dry basis and, for processed products, maximum lactose. A few rows exactly as printed:
| Product | Moisture, maximum, % (m/m) | Milk fat, minimum, % (dry basis) |
|---|---|---|
| Hard-pressed cheese | 39.0 | 48.0 |
| Soft cheese | 80.0 | 20.0 |
| Cheddar | 39.0 | 48.0 |
| Processed cheese | 47.0 | 40.0 (lactose maximum 5.0) |
Processed cheese carries a printed condition that the moisture figure is 50% for chiplets and packed sliced processed cheese sold in a package other than tin. The table also covers the other named varieties, whey cheeses and cheeses in brine, and the compendium shows two rows as omitted.
Mozzarella (Table 2). An amendment printed with the words "This amendment shall come into force on 1st May, 2025" adds a mozzarella table. It links the fat in dry matter band to the minimum dry matter content with low or high moisture and gives designation qualifiers: partially skimmed, medium fat, full fat and high fat. High moisture mozzarella must also carry the qualifying term "High moisture". That date has passed.
Labelling. The name is "cheese", "whey cheese" or "cheese in brine", and the word may be dropped for a named variety. Hard cheese surface treated with natamycin carries the words "SURFACE TREATED WITH NATAMYCIN", and any cheese coated or packed in wax, polyfilm or cloth carries "REMOVE THE OUTER PACKING BEFORE CONSUMPTION". For the dairy basics see our article on the general standards for milk and milk products.
Regulation 2.1.18: edible casein products
The standard covers edible acid casein, edible rennet casein and edible caseinate. Raw material is skimmed milk and suitable milk products, and the permitted ingredients are edible acids, starter cultures, non-animal rennet or similar enzymes, potable water and neutralizing agents. The table prints moisture at a maximum of 12.0 for the two caseins and 8.0 for caseinate, and minimum milk protein on dry matter basis of 90.0 for acid casein. It also sets milk fat, casein in protein, lactose, total ash including P2O5 and, for acid casein, an acid parameter measured in ml of 0.1 N sodium hydroxide per g. Caseinate's name must be qualified by the cation of the neutralizing agent.
Regulation 2.1.19: omitted
The compendium prints 2.1.19 as omitted, with a note that it is superseded by the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, dated 04.12.2020. Infant foods are covered in our sister article on the definitions of the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations.
Regulations 2.1.20 to 2.1.24
| Product | Defining feature | Key parameters named | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edible lactose | white to light yellow crystalline sugar from whey | moisture (maximum 6.0), lactose on dry basis (minimum 99.0), sulphated ash, pH | 2.1.20 |
| Milk protein concentrate | milk proteins in native ratio, lactose and minerals largely removed | moisture, milk protein (minimum 40.0), insolubility index, ash | 2.1.21 |
| Whey protein concentrate | whey with non-protein constituents removed | moisture, milk protein (minimum 35.0), milk fat | 2.1.22 |
| Cow or buffalo colostrum, colostrum powder | secretion up to three to five days after parturition | protein, fat, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin | 2.1.23 |
| Dairy permeate powders | dried, lactose-rich milk products | lactose, nitrogen, fat, ash, moisture | 2.1.24 |
Milk protein concentrate may be labelled "MPC" followed by its protein content, and both concentrates must show the milk protein content as a percentage by mass. Colostrum has a table for liquid colostrum and one for colostrum powder, with parameters such as appearance, odour, taste, moisture, protein, fat, immunoglobulins and lactoferrin; an amendment printed with the date 1st May, 2025 changes the immunoglobulin entry to Immunoglobulin-G (IgG). Colostrum shall not contain any food additives. Dairy permeate powders are named "lactose-rich deproteinized" followed by dairy, milk or whey, and safe processing aids that adjust pH, such as hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, are allowed under good manufacturing practice.
A practical example
Himalayan Foods makes a pizza cheese by pasta filata processing. Under 2.1.17 it is mozzarella, and its designation depends on the fat in dry matter and moisture level, so a low-fat, high-moisture product needs the qualifiers the table prints. If the company instead blends cheese with emulsifiers and a non-dairy flavouring, the product is processed cheese, and the one-sixth cap on non-dairy ingredients applies.
Linked standards
Whey, lactose and milk protein ingredients feed the products in our articles on dahi, ice cream and paneer and ghee and milk powders. The overview of dairy product standards gives the wider picture.
Need help with cheese or protein ingredients?
Naming a cheese or a protein concentrate correctly depends on composition tables and label wording. Our team can check a specification against the standard and the licence category through FSSAI registration for food manufacturers.
Key takeaways
- Cheese must come from milk heat treated at least equivalent to pasteurization.
- The composition table sets maximum moisture and minimum milk fat for each cheese type.
- The mozzarella table and the colostrum IgG change carry a printed date of 1st May, 2025.
- Regulation 2.1.19 is omitted and infant foods sit in the 2020 Regulations.
- Casein, lactose, MPC, WPC, colostrum and permeate powders each have a short parameter table.
Read next
- Regulations 2.1.13 to 2.1.16: dahi, ice cream, frozen dessert and paneer
- Regulation 2.1.1: general standards for milk and milk products
- Dairy product standards: milk, curd and ghee
- Licence for a dairy processing unit
Disclaimer: Based on the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 as consolidated in FSSAI's chapter-wise compendium (to amendment 83 of 21 October 2024) and the First Amendment Regulations, 2025, as consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026. Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.