Khoya | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Khoya (also called mawa or khoa) is a traditional Indian dairy product prepared by open-pan thermal desiccation of whole milk to 55–65% total solids, yielding a semi-solid, concentrated milk mass with a mildly cooked flavour. It is widely used in the Indian subcontinent as the primary base ingredient for milk-based sweets such as burfi, peda, gulab jamun, and milk cake.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

As unadulterated whole-milk concentrate, khoya carries no intrinsic toxicological risk; however, FSSAI has documented widespread adulteration with starch, added sugars, non-dairy fats, and synthetic colours in the retail market, posing potential health risks. Its high caloric density (~458 kcal/100 g) and significant saturated-fat content warrant moderation, especially for individuals with cardiovascular or metabolic conditions. Lactose-intolerant individuals should exercise caution, as concentration of milk solids results in a proportionally elevated lactose load.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Defined and standardised under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Product must be free from added starch and added sugar. Extracted fat must satisfy Reichert Meissl value, Polenske value, and Butyro-refractometer readings as prescribed for ghee. Must comply with the FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011. Labelling must display the name 'Khoa', 'Mawa', or any other region-specific popular name.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Lactose Intolerance — Khoya is a concentrated milk solid containing a proportionally high lactose load; as lactose intolerance affects over 70% of the global population due to absent β-galactosidase activity, consumption is likely to trigger gastrointestinal distress.

Other — Individuals with confirmed cow's or buffalo's milk protein allergy must avoid khoya entirely, as it is a whole-milk concentrate retaining all native milk proteins including casein and whey allergens.

Infants — Highly concentrated solid dairy is not appropriate as a nutritional staple for infants; its high protein, sodium, and fat density can place undue renal and metabolic burden on developing systems.

Diabetes — Khoya has a caloric density of approximately 458 kcal/100 g with significant simple carbohydrate (lactose) content; when used in sugar-rich sweets it can cause rapid glycaemic excursions in individuals with diabetes.

Heart Disease — As a whole-milk concentrate produced predominantly from buffalo milk, khoya is rich in saturated fat; regular high-quantity consumption may adversely affect lipid profiles in individuals with existing cardiovascular disease.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 – Compendium (updated October 2022), 2022. fssai.gov.in
2PubMed. Khoa and khoa based traditional dairy products: preparation, spoilage and shelf life extension, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3FSSAI. Is Your Khoya And Mawa For Festive Sweets Safe? FSSAI Suggests Getting Them Tested For Adulteration, 2020. fssai.gov.in
4FSSAI. Guidance Note on Safety and Quality of Traditional Milk Products, 2020. fssai.gov.in
5PubMed. Physico-chemical properties of Khoa prepared from lactose hydrolyzed buffalo milk, 2019. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations