AMUL’s managing director RS Sodhi lashed back at PETA India over the demand to switch to ‘vegan milk’ from dairy products. In a recent tweet directed at PETA India, RS Sodhi raised the question over people’s affordability and willingness to consume synthetic food made from chemicals in laboratories. “… how many can afford expensive lab-manufactured factory food made out of chemicals and synthetic vitamins,” read part of the tweet posted by RS Sodhi. In his tweet, Sodhi also invoked the livelihoods of 10 crore farmers dependent on the dairy industry.
Earlier, in a letter written to Amul’s Sodhi, PETA said that the dairy major could certainly profit from the rising interest in vegan products such as vegan cheeses, yogurts, etc. It also mentioned how companies such as Nestle, Danone, General Mills, and Epigamia have forayed into dairy-free products through acquisitions and new launches. There are many alternatives of dairy milk available in the markets such as almond milk, soya milk, oat milk, coconut milk etc.
Products derived from soya, almonds can’t be sold as ‘milk’ or ‘milk products’
The apex body of the cooperative dairy sector has contended that beverages or products derived from soya, almonds and so on cannot be sold as ‘milk’ or ‘milk products’ such as paneer, curd or yogurt. The National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), in a plea before the Delhi High Court, raised the issue whether products derived particularly from plants can be termed as milk or milk products. Justice Rekha Pali of the Delhi Court last week issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government, food safety regulator FSSAI, and various companies, including Hershey, which sells such products — such as soy milk — seeking their stand on the plea.
‘Plant-based products are nothing but genetically modified lab foods’
Earlier last week, RS Sodhi said that plant-based products are nothing but genetically modified lab foods that are made out of chemicals and synthetic materials by big corporations and MNCs with the only objective of profit making and not a livelihood.
All species make enough milk for own babies. Cows/buffaloes in dairy sector r often drugged & genetically manipulated to produce unnatural amount of milk so much it often results in lameness, mastitis and other ailments. Broken, They are typically abandoned or sold to be killed.
— PETA India (@PetaIndia) May 30, 2021
PETA in one of the replies quoted the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which said that ‘cow and buffalo milk is excellent, but for calves’. “All species make enough milk for their own babies. Cows/buffaloes in the dairy sector are often drugged and genetically manipulated to produce unnatural amounts of milk so much it often results in lameness, mastitis and other ailments,” PETA said in another tweet.
This twitter war started last week when PETA India asked Amul to switch to plant-based or vegan milk. PETA, in a letter written to RS Sodhi, Managing Director, Amul, advised the dairy firm to benefit from the booming vegan food and milk market, ‘instead of wasting resources trying to fight the demand for plant-based products that is only growing’.
PETA India’s letter to @Amul_Coop in full, letting the company know about the business opportunity the rise in #vegan eating presents. @Rssamul #PETA pic.twitter.com/W7PMnkua6D
— PETA India (@PetaIndia) May 28, 2021
Amul’s Sodhi said that foreign-funded NGOs are running campaigns to tarnish the Indian dairy industry which unlike the western world is not a factory farm industry. Cattle are part of a dairy farmer’s family, nobody tortures them.
Don’t you know dairy farmers are mostly landless. Your designs may kill their only source of livelihood. Mind it milk is in our faith, our traditions, our taste, our food habits an easy and always available source of nutrition. https://t.co/YwzKbwoQt3
— ASHWANI MAHAJAN (@ashwani_mahajan) May 26, 2021
Sodhi retweeted a tweet by Ashwini Mahajan, national co-convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, where he wrote that dairy farmers are mostly landless. “Your designs may kill their only source of livelihood. Mind it milk is in our faith, our traditions, our taste, our food habits an easy and always available source of nutrition,” Mahajan said in a tweet quoting PETA’s tweet.
‘Peta wants Amul to snatch livelihood of 100 million poor farmers’
In a reply to PETA’s letter, RS Sodhi asked whether PETA will give livelihood to 100 million dairy farmers — 70 per cent of which are landless.
Will they give livelihood to 100 million dairy farmers (70% landless) , who will pay for children school fee .. how many can afford expensive lab manufactured factory food made out of chemicals … And synthetic vitamins .. https://t.co/FaJmnCAxdO
— R S Sodhi (@Rssamul) May 28, 2021
“Who will pay for children school fee,” he asked. He further said that Peta wants Amul to snatch livelihood of 100 million poor farmers and hand over its resources built in 75 years with farmers money to market genetically modified Soya of rich MNC at exorbitant prices, which the average lower middle class can’t afford. Sodhi said plant-based foods companies are encashing on the equity of milk.
