New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS): More than 68 percent of milk samples tested across the country by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) failed to conform to recommended standards, parliament has been informed.

The FSSAI conducted a national survey to ascertain the quality of milk throughout the country, in which 68.4 percent samples were found to be non-conforming to food safety and standards regulations, 2011, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Tuesday in reply to a written question in the Rajya Sabha.

The FSSAI is the nodal agency which regulates manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food items.

The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, rests with state governments.

Random samples of food items, including milk, are taken by the state food safety officers and sent to the designated laboratories for analysis.

Azad said penal action is taken against offenders in case the samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the food safety act.

The 12th five year plan has made an outlay of Rs.1,500 crore to strengthen the food regulatory system at the state level.