GUWAHATI: Rampant adulteration of milk has been a cause of worry in
Guwahati. Sources in the state public health laboratory (SPHL) said
adulteration by vendors is rampant in the city, though quality of toned
milk has been found up to the mark.
"The quality of toned milk available in city markets is fine. But during an analysis in our laboratory, it was found that the quality of milk sold in the open market by vendors is quite poor. The most common adulterant was found to be the addition of water. But we have also found that the fat content of milk is removed by milk vendors at various places in the city to make a variety of other products," said an official of SPHL.
He added that though adulteration of milk is not done by the dairy farmers at the source of production, the retail milk sellers are mostly involved in this act. "Enforcement officials should pay frequent visits and the municipal corporation should give license to milk vendors. In Guwahati, many unscrupulous traders have been selling milk without any permit from the civic body which is a cause of milk adulteration" the official added.
According to the official, milk and edible oil are the two commodities where adulteration is most common in Guwahati.
"We were surprised to find that even the branded companies of the country, which have a reputation for ensuring quality, are involved in mixing sesame oil in edible oil. The edible oil manufacturing companies are indulging in such kind of adulteration as a cost-cutting measure," the official said.
The authorities slapped a penalty on edible oil manufacturing companies that was found mixing sesame oil in edible oil in the city recently. An official of the food and civil supplies department said poor quality of edible oil used to prepare food in budget eateries has been a cause of concern.
"The edible oil manufacturing companies of the state are adulterating edible oil not in all of their factories. For instance, they will keep the quality of edible oil produced from one unit safe, but will mix it up for cost-cutting in other two industrial units to hoodwink the authorities concerned," the official said.
"The quality of toned milk available in city markets is fine. But during an analysis in our laboratory, it was found that the quality of milk sold in the open market by vendors is quite poor. The most common adulterant was found to be the addition of water. But we have also found that the fat content of milk is removed by milk vendors at various places in the city to make a variety of other products," said an official of SPHL.
He added that though adulteration of milk is not done by the dairy farmers at the source of production, the retail milk sellers are mostly involved in this act. "Enforcement officials should pay frequent visits and the municipal corporation should give license to milk vendors. In Guwahati, many unscrupulous traders have been selling milk without any permit from the civic body which is a cause of milk adulteration" the official added.
According to the official, milk and edible oil are the two commodities where adulteration is most common in Guwahati.
"We were surprised to find that even the branded companies of the country, which have a reputation for ensuring quality, are involved in mixing sesame oil in edible oil. The edible oil manufacturing companies are indulging in such kind of adulteration as a cost-cutting measure," the official said.
The authorities slapped a penalty on edible oil manufacturing companies that was found mixing sesame oil in edible oil in the city recently. An official of the food and civil supplies department said poor quality of edible oil used to prepare food in budget eateries has been a cause of concern.
"The edible oil manufacturing companies of the state are adulterating edible oil not in all of their factories. For instance, they will keep the quality of edible oil produced from one unit safe, but will mix it up for cost-cutting in other two industrial units to hoodwink the authorities concerned," the official said.
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