The Government on Tuesday admitted that the milk Indians drink is highly adulterated. It confirmed that 68.4 per cent samples of milk tested last year did not conform to food safety regulations as per a national survey which was first reported by The Pioneer earlier this year.
“In the National Survey conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2011 to ascertain the quality of liquid milk throughout the country, 68.4 per cent samples were found not conforming to the norms,” Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the Rajya Sabha while replying to a query.
The Pioneer’s report, which appeared in January, was based on the survey and had become a hot topic of discussion among all stakeholders concerned, including consumers and authorities. The findings put a question mark on the important nutritional content in the milk being sold in the country.
Azad also belied the Delhi Government’s claim that milk quality in the city was as per the set standards. The Minister pointed out that as per the survey, out of the 71 samples picked last year, 50 were found to be sub-standard with additions of glucose and skimmed milk powder being detected.
Adulteration was found to be widely prevalent - in rural as well as urban areas - in both packed and loosely-sold milk. The samples were tested in the Government’s laboratories.
The situation was worst in States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Mizoram where all samples collected were found to be adulterated and they did not confirm to the standards.
Goa and Puducherry were the exceptions with all samples being up to standards.
“The snap shot survey was conducted with an aim to identify common adulterants in milk in rural and urban areas in different States besides finding out the non-conforming samples in loose and packed milk throughout the country,” a senior official from the FSSAI had said.
“In the National Survey conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2011 to ascertain the quality of liquid milk throughout the country, 68.4 per cent samples were found not conforming to the norms,” Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the Rajya Sabha while replying to a query.
The Pioneer’s report, which appeared in January, was based on the survey and had become a hot topic of discussion among all stakeholders concerned, including consumers and authorities. The findings put a question mark on the important nutritional content in the milk being sold in the country.
Azad also belied the Delhi Government’s claim that milk quality in the city was as per the set standards. The Minister pointed out that as per the survey, out of the 71 samples picked last year, 50 were found to be sub-standard with additions of glucose and skimmed milk powder being detected.
Adulteration was found to be widely prevalent - in rural as well as urban areas - in both packed and loosely-sold milk. The samples were tested in the Government’s laboratories.
The situation was worst in States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Mizoram where all samples collected were found to be adulterated and they did not confirm to the standards.
Goa and Puducherry were the exceptions with all samples being up to standards.
“The snap shot survey was conducted with an aim to identify common adulterants in milk in rural and urban areas in different States besides finding out the non-conforming samples in loose and packed milk throughout the country,” a senior official from the FSSAI had said.
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