New Delhi:  Patanjali has responded strongly to media reports claiming that its cow ghee is of poor quality. The company said that its ghee is made only after strict testing and quality checks. It also clarified that the court order related to a 2020 case filed by the Food Safety Department in Pithoragarh is “incorrect and illegal”.

The controversy began after reports linked to Patanjali’s cow ghee and the Food Safety Act case from 20 October 2020. Patanjali said the court relied on a test done by a referral laboratory that was not accredited by NABL, which means it was not authorised to test cow ghee samples. According to the company, such a test cannot be accepted legally.

Patanjali said it was “shocking and unfair” that an unapproved lab labelled its high-quality cow ghee as substandard.

Patanjali to appeal in Food Safety Tribunal

The company also argued that the standards used to mark the sample as failed were not even in force at that time, making the decision legally wrong. Patanjali questioned the re-testing process too, saying that the product had already expired when the sample was tested again.

According to Patanjali, the court passed the adverse order without considering these important facts, which the company believes is not legally justified. Patanjali confirmed that it is filing an appeal before the Food Safety Tribunal, and is confident that the tribunal will rule in its favour based on the evidence.

Court didn’t say ghee Is harmful

Patanjali further clarified that the court has not said anywhere that its ghee is harmful or unsafe to eat. The only issue mentioned was a small difference in the RM value, which shows the level of volatile fatty acids in ghee when heated.

The company explained that such minor variations are natural and do not affect the quality of the ghee—just like small fluctuations in haemoglobin levels in the human body are normal and harmless.