‘Products sold after rigorous tests’: Patanjali’s clarification on adverse reports on its Cow Ghee

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali has issued a clarification on reports of its Cow Ghee being sub-standard, saying it sells cow’s milk and ghee only after rigorous tests to ensure quality standards.

Referring to the media reports regarding Patanjali Cow Ghee, and the case filed under Food Safety Act on 20 October 2020 by the Food Safety Department, Pithoragarh,  Patanjali termed the subsequent court order “erroneous and unlawful”.

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“The referral laboratory was not accredited by NABL to conduct tests on cow ghee; therefore, the testing done there is not legally acceptable. It is absurd and highly objectionable that a sub-standard lab termed Patanjali’s best-quality cow ghee as sub-standard,” it added in in a statement.

Patanjali further argued that the parameters on the basis of which the sample was declared failed were not even applicable at that time; hence, using them is legally incorrect.

The company also questioned re-testing of the sample, claiming the product had expired by the time it was conducted.

“The court passed an adverse order without considering these major arguments, which is not legally sound. An appeal is being filed before the Food Safety Tribunal against this order, and we are fully confident that the tribunal will decide the matter in our favour on the basis of the strong merits of our case,” it said.

Moreover, the company also stated that the order nowhere states that Patanjali Cow Ghee is harmful for consumption.

“It only mentions a nominal difference from the standard in the RM Value of the ghee. The RM Value indicates the level of volatile fatty acids in ghee (which evaporate when ghee is heated). This is a natural process and does not affect the quality of the ghee–just as minimal variations in haemoglobin in the human body are natural,” it added.