Indian doctor sparks controversy saying paneer and milk are not ‘veg’ foods: ‘Same as chicken, beef’ | Trending

An Indian doctor has sparked a controversy classifying milk and paneer as non-vegetarian foods. Dr Sylvia Karpagam managed to offend hundreds of vegetarians on social media declaring that milk and paneer are derived from animal sources, and can therefore not be classified as vegetarian foods. An Indian doctor has sparked a controversy claiming milk and milk products are not vegetarian(Representational image) Karpagam was responding to a picture of a vegetarian thali shared another doctor who claimed it contained “protein, good fats and fibre.” The thali (or plate of food) in question comprised paneer, moong dal, a salad made of carrots, cucumber and onions, raw coconut, walnuts, and a bowl of kheer without sweeteners. “Dinner plate of husband vegetarian meal. Has protein, good fats and fibre,” wrote X user Sunita Sayammagaru, who shared the picture on social media. Dr Sylvia Karpagam, working editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, responded to the post saying that milk and paneer are not vegetarian foods. “Also paneer and milk are not ‘veg’. They are animal source foods…..same like chicken, fish, beef and all,” she said. Her post proved to be deeply divisive on X, where many offered their arguments for or against Dr Karpagam’s classification. A row on ‘vegetarianism’Several X users said that paneer and milk, and other milk products, are vegetarian as no animals are killed to obtain them. “No one is killed … to eat paneer or milk,” an X user said. “Milk products are the animal products that no animal has to be killed and hence it is indeed vegetarian & not vegan, any killing or harm of animal is on the milking set up, veg means vegetarian,” another added. Karpagam asked why, this logic, are eggs considered “non vegetarian” if no hens are killed. Her assertion on the classification of milk as non-vegetarian led to much backlash on X. Several people criticised her for spreading misinformation, while others wondered if she had made the provocative post only as a ‘rage bait’ to get more engagement. The definition of “vegetarian” differs significantly in India compared to other parts of the world, primarily due to cultural and religious reasons. A vegetarian in India typically follows lacto-vegetarianism, meaning they consume dairy (milk, paneer, ghee, curd, etc.) but avoid eggs. In most Western countries, the term vegetarian includes ovo-lacto vegetarians, i.e. people who eat milk, milk products and eggs. In some countries, pescatarians (people who eat fish and seafood, but avoid meats like chicken) are also considered vegetarian.