Food safety experts find adulterants like detergent, urea and soda in 68% of milk

The glass of milk that you consider to be the epitome of nutrition and good health may not be all that pure. In fact it can be harmful when unscrupulous vendor s use adulterants like detergent, urea and soda.

The government has made the shocking admission that the bulk of milk supplied by vendors across the country is either contaminated or adulterated. Even packaged milk in some parts of the country is below standard. The admission comes in an affidavit filed by the Centre in an ongoing public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. Over 68 per cent of the samples of milk available across the country examined by food safety authorities have been found to be of substandard quality.

The admission comes in an affidavit filed by the Centre in an ongoing public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. Over 68 per cent of the samples of milk available across the country examined by food safety authorities have been found to be of substandard quality.

These samples did not conform to standards fixed for different types of milk such as skimmed, toned and double toned.

The analysis by the authorities revealed traces of detergent in some samples. This was apart from the use of water, glucose and skimmed milk powder, the most commonly used adulterants. Experts said dilution took away from the nutritive value of milk.

"While packaged milk producers are governed by government standards, there is practically no check on non-packaged milk sold by vendors," said Dr Vinod Kansal, a leading dairy expert who was formerly with the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal.

The study was conducted across India

Usually, he said, milk is collected by vendors in unhygienic conditions and then stored for long durations. "All this increases the chances of lowering milk quality and results in bacterial contamination," Kansal said. In order to prevent milk from getting spoiled in summer season, milkmen add urea or soda, which are very harmful for humans.

Dejon Mishra, consumer rights activist, said: "The food safety authority must mandate a system for tracking all milk products so that contaminated products could be traced. In the long run, steps should be taken to see that all milk sold in the country is packaged."

The government analysis revealed that over 66 per cent of samples not conforming to standards were non-packaged samples while 33 per cent were packaged milk.

The government said in its affidavit to the court that water was the most common adulterant and the addition of water reduced the nutritional value and posed a danger to health if water was contaminated. "Milk with detergent is unsafe for drinking," the government added.

There is a better chance of getting quality milk if one buys packaged milk than nonpackaged milk available in the market.

The study was conducted across India. It was found that the worst place to buy milk is Uttar Pradesh where 88 per cent of 136 samples collected were found to be not conforming to standards. The situation in Delhi, however, was not as bad.

The affidavit, filed on behalf of the Centre by the assistant director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Kamal Kumar, stated that the government had fixed standards for different types of milk under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011 and had taken a total of 1,791 samples from all over the country for the snap shot survey.

Of the 1,791 samples, only 565 were found conforming to the standards fixed by it and 1,226 samples failed the test. The government said the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 permitted the public to take samples for testing in laboratories. Based on the result of the test, prosecution can be launched by the food safety officer.

The FSSAI study has only confirmed the findings of earlier studies in different parts of the country which point to milk contamination, including coliform bacteria.

An insurance against adulterated milk is the common Indian habit of boiling milk before consumption. "All bacteria are killed once milk is thoroughly boiled", Kansal said.

The affidavit had been filed in response to a notice on a petition alleging rampant milk adulteration with harmful substances. Swami Achyutanand Tirth had filed a PIL earlier this year alleging that the government had failed to check adulteration in milk which was prepared with materials like urea, detergent, refined oil and caustic soda.

The Supreme Court had on May 9 issued notice to the Centre and several state governments on the PIL highlighting the need for putting an end to the malpractice by formulating a comprehensive policy on the production, supply and sale of milk.

The petitioners had claimed that a recent survey by the FSSAI had revealed that harmful adulterated milk was being sold in various parts of the country.