Heritage Foods Refutes Misleading Reports on Product Quality; Clarifies on Haryana Penalty

Hyderabad: Heritage Foods Limited has issued a stern rebuttal to recent media reports, particularly those published by Sakshi, which questioned the quality of its curd products following regulatory action in Haryana. The dairy major clarified on Sunday that the penalty in question has been stayed by a judicial tribunal and described the reports as factually incomplete and misleading.

According to a statement released by J. Samba Murthy, Chief Operating Officer of Heritage Foods Limited, the company challenged the notice dated December 18, 2025, before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal in Gurugram. The tribunal has since granted a stay on the order, rendering the matter sub judice and the penalty currently unenforceable.

Procedural Lapses in Sampling

The company stated that the test results were skewed due to a fundamental failure to follow mandatory sampling protocols.

According to Heritage Foods Limited, dairy products such as milk and curd require thorough stirring or churning to achieve homogeneity before samples are drawn. If this step is omitted, fat separates and rises to the top. As a result, a sample drawn from the bottom of a container would naturally show lower fat content—not because the product is substandard, but because the sample is not representative of the entire batch.

“Records do not clearly specify whether samples were drawn from sealed packs or collected as loose samples, increasing the probability of sampling error. The absence of independent witness details further constitutes a serious procedural lapse that vitiates the entire sampling process,” the statement said.

The company also pointed out that laboratory reports showed solids-not-fat (SNF) levels significantly above prescribed standards, which, it said, demonstrates that there was no intent to reduce fat content for commercial gain.

“No harmful substances were found, and no public health risk has been established,” the statement said. Heritage Foods Limited reiterated its 33-year legacy of quality and urged consumers to disregard what it described as “malicious and incomplete” narratives aimed at tarnishing the company’s reputation. The company reaffirmed its adherence to strict corporate governance practices and food safety regulations.