FSSAI Approves Himalayan Yak as ‘Food Animal’
The Indian Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has authorized the Himalayan Yak as a “food animal”.
The Yak is a long-haired humped domestic bovine. The word yak refers only to the male of the species; a female is a dri or nak. Because hemoglobin is present throughout life, Yaks have larger hearts and lungs as well as a higher ability to distribute oxygen through their blood. YAK resides at the highest altitude on earth. YAK originated in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia before being introduced to North America, Canada, New Zealand, and some regions of Europe. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, North Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir are just a few of the Himalayan regions of India where you can find yaks.
According to a representative of the National Research Centre (NRC) on Yak in Dirang, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, the action is anticipated to prevent the decrease of the high-altitude bovine animal population by merging it into the mainstream milk and meat businesses.
Once it is published in the gazette after receiving approval from the appropriate government, the label “food animal” will be considered official.
Yak farming will become more profitable for farmers as a result of the FSSAI’s identification of the animal as a food-producing animal. This development will offer a number of new economic opportunities for both food processors and farmers.
Yaks are traditionally raised in a crude, disorganized, and complicated transhumance system. The FSSAI’s designation of the yak as a food animal is
widely believed to open the door for its commercial growing and consumption using the yak-rearing model created by NRC-Yak.
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