Mandatory bacteria test for milk for sale from February

NEW DELHI: Come February, milk sold in India will have to be tested for harmful bacteria like E Coli.

According to the new food safety rules that come into effect six months from August, 2011, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for milk manufacturers to test it for organisms such as E Coli, staphaureus and listeria monocytogenes before bringing it into the market.

FSSAI CEO V N Gaur said, "We have introduced for the first time microbiological standards for milk. It was decided on August 5. The regulation will come into force in February since we gave the manufacturers and the industry six months' timeframe to put in place processes to test for deadly micro-organisms like E Coli."

Gaur said, FSSAI officials would also see whether manufacturers have complied with the microbiological standards.

"They will have to conform to prescribed coliform and plate counts. The milk has to be certified E Coli, staphaureus and listeria monocytogenes free," he added.

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told TOI on Thursday that states will have to increase their surveillance of food items. "States must take the menace of food adulteration seriously. At present, the fight is being hampered due to lack of trained human resources. Inspections must be increased to look for adulteration and use of harmful chemicals, especially in milk, vegetables and fruits commonly consumed by Indians," Azad said.

TOI recently reported how the national milk survey of the FSSAI had found that nearly 70% of the 1, 791 samples picked up from 33 states failed to conform to FSSAI's standards.

Around 89% of the samples tested from Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir (83%), Punjab (81%), Rajasthan (76%), Delhi and Haryana ((70%) and Maharashtra (65%) had failed to pass the muster.

FSSAI said the milk of Mother Dairy and Amul did not conform to the national standards.

Gaur said, "FSSAI has published the results of a nation-wide surveillance survey of milk sold in the market both in packed and loose form, marketed by organized as well as unorganized sector. At the national level, 68.4% of the samples were not found to be conforming to the FSS regulations."

Standards have been specified for 10 types of milk that include buffalo, cow, goat or sheep, mixed, standardized, re-combined, toned, double-toned, skimmed and full cream milk.