Menace of adulteration

With the revelation of the recent nationwide surveillance survey report of Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) panic has been caused in the whole of J&K state. Authorities have been geared up by the state run administration in order to check the adulteration in milk. General masses are quite cynical about the milk they consume in their day-to-day lives.
On the other hand the dishonest and corrupt lot in the organization is trying to cover up the manufacturers involved in the heinous crimes of adulteration as their hands get greased suitably. The authorities have unfortunately a meager knowledge of adulterants and their detection procedures due to the fact that either they are nonprofessionals or ill trained.

More pathetic is that till it remains in news everyone involved in the trade takes utmost care while the same doesn’t last long and after some time both the concerned authorities and the traders go by the same offensive way due to the hard fact that corruption has encrypted the whole of our system. And the culprits, be it vendors or manufacturers, find it more lucrative to corrupt the official concerned in order to deliver the substandard or adulterated food product than giving the quality product as per the specified standards. Although such surveys are considered to be good in order to reduce the adulteration that might have been rampant in our state as well but its authenticity has to be ensured by the state administration, sooner the better. Because milk is a product consumed by all age groups and mostly by the children its utmost safety has to be ensured by the state run administration by handing the authority over to the most honest & candid officials. Other than the existing Food & Drug Control Organization, occupied mostly by the unethical lot, an upright team has to be set in place so that incase of any ambiguity the said samples are forwarded to a national lab for re-examination.

As per the recent survey of FSSAI the practice of making synthetic or adulterated milk is feared to have adopted in almost all the states of India.  And the adulterants that are mostly being used include urea, caustic soda, cheap cooking oil and common detergents. Detergents are added to emulsify and dissolve the oil in water giving the frothy solution, the characteristic white colour of milk. Refined oil is used as a substitute for milk fat. Caustic soda is added to the blended milk to neutralize the acidity, thereby preventing it from turning sour during transport. Urea, sugar & salt are added for solid-not-fat (SNF). The above prepared synthetic milk looks like natural milk, except in taste and nutritional qualities. The cost of preparing synthetic milk is less than Rs. 8 per liter and it is sold to consumers at a price arranging between Rs 22 - 23 per liter after blending it with natural milk. The use of synthetic milk has been found to have cancerous effects on human beings. Urea and caustic soda are very harmful to heart, liver and kidneys. Urea is an additional burden for kidneys as they have to do more work to remove urea from the body. Caustic soda which contains sodium acts as slow poison for those suffering from hypertension and heart ailments. Caustic soda also deprives the body from utilizing lysine, an essential amino acid in milk, which is required by growing babies. Such artificial milk is harmful for all, but is more dangerous for pregnant women, fetus and persons who are already having heart and kidney problems.

Chemically to detect urea, caustic soda, starch, glucose, sugar, detergent etc. at home for the consumers particularly for house wives is very difficult. But, before utilizing the milk at home house wives and consumers may see the main characteristics of natural milk and synthetic milk as mentioned in the figure.

Physical properties         Natural milk                              Synthetic-milk

Taste                               Slightly Sweet                            Bitter
                                                      
Colour                             White                                          White

pH                                   Around  6.8 (Acidic)                     Around 10(Alkaline)
(H+ ion concentration)

Texture                           No soapy feeling if                       Gives you a soapy feeling.  
                                       rubbed between fingers       
Effect of heating               No change                                  Turns yellowish
                                         continues to remain white              on boiling.                                


Effect on storage               No change in color                     Turns yellowish.

Besides adulteration there are so many other queries which demand answers from the concerned authorities. Water is usually seen to be added in milk both at the producer level as well at the vendor level that contributes in reducing the solid content already present in milk and eventually the milk becomes substandard, though it may not be harmful. But how pure is this added water? Is it really the tap water or pond water? Not only this, water is also used at the manufacturing level that must also be ascertained for required quality parameters and therefore requires a well trained human resource. Furthermore, it is said that the vendors & manufacturers make the milk out of Powder. How true is it? And if it is so is it permitted as per the Food Safety & Standards Act? Also, does the Skimmed Milk Powder used for standardization of a particular type of milk conform to the specified standards? What kind of skimmed milk powder is being used by the traders? How limited is this addition of SMP to lose milk? How much is the milk scientifically & hygienically prepared, processed & packed? Such issues are to be looked into by the authorities and the administration very seriously so that the food becomes safe for the consumption of a common man.

Let’s all be conscientious because we really need to fight this menace of adulteration for our own wellbeing. We as producers and consumers have a role to play in checking this nuisance while the government authorities have and can play a vital role in curbing such adulteration and use of harmful chemicals in various food products by increasing the frequency of official Inspections and honest samplings. After all, it is the matter of human life.