Aavin Milk row: Dairy Minister denies Annamalai’s charges

CHENNAI: State dairy minister Mano Thangaraj on Monday denied the charges levelled by state BJP president K Annamalai about the alleged low fat content in Aavin milk and said that the BJP Tamilnadu chief was doing it with political motive and possibly for benefits from companies outside the state.

Addressing Annamalai’s recent tweet on Aavin Milk's fat content on micro blogging site ‘X’, Thangaraj said, “we are dismayed by the deliberate spread of misinformation. The referenced test report fails to specify it pertains to Aavin Milk. Aavin exclusively packages in packets, not PET containers as suggested, casting doubt on the sample's authenticity.”

Arguing that Testing samples without original packaging compromises accuracy and it was a fundamental practice to ensure reliable results seemingly overlooked here, the minister said, “We're deeply concerned your statements may mislead and create unnecessary doubt. Aavin has an impeccable reputation, and we stand by the integrity of our processes. Regrettably, your actions appear to damage Tamil Nadu's reputation for political gains.”

Discouraging support for locally produced Aavin products, vital to our farmers, raises questions about your motives, he added, suspecting that the actions for personal gain, possibly seeking benefits from companies outside our state, at the expense of our farmers – a disgraceful move.

Advising Annamalai to refrain from baseless political manoeuvres, he said that dairy dept was committed to transparency, upholding product standards, and won't tolerate false claims undermining our state's farmers.

Also Read: Annamalai releases FSSAI test report of Aavin milk sample; alleges less fat content