சுகாதாரம் இல்லாத டாஸ்மாக் பார் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை கண்காணிக்குமா?

தர்மபுரி, அக்.11:

தர்மபுரி மாவட்ட டாஸ்மாக் பார்களில் சுகாதாரமின்றி இருப்பதாலும், தாபாக்களில் நாய்கள் வளர்ப்பதாலும் தொற்று நோய் பரவும் அபாயம் உள்ளது.

தர்மபுரி மாவட்டத்தில் 95 அரசு டாஸ்மாக் கடைகள் உள்ளன. இந்த கடைகளை ஒட்டி மது அருந்துவதற்கு என பார் தனியாருக்கு குத்தகைக்கு விடப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த பார்களில் மது அருந்த சென்றால், அங்கு மது அருந்த கூடிய டேபிள்கள் சுத்தம் செய்யப்படாமல் சுகாதாரமற்ற நிலையில் உள்ளது. ஏற்கனவே மது அருந்தியவர்கள் சாப்பிட்ட மிச்சங்களை சுத்தப்படுத் தாமலேயே அடுத்தவர் மது அருந்தும் நிலை உள்ளது. அனைத்து மது பான பார்களிலும் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பிளாஸ்டிக் கப்புகளே குடிப்பதற்கு பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன. சைடிஷ் உணவு வகைகள் சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில் தயாரிக்கப்படுகிறது.

மேலும், தர்மபுரி நகரையொட்டிய புறநகரில் உள்ள தாபாக்களில் நாய்கள் வளர்க்கப்படுகிறது. இந்த நாய்கள் மது அருந்துபவரின் முன்பு அமர்ந்து கொண்டு மது அருந்துபவர்கள் சாப்பிட்டு மிச்சமான கறி உணவை சாப்பிட காத்திருக்கின்றன. ஆள் உயர நாய்கள் அருகே மது அருந்துபவர்கள் அச்சத்துடன் மது அருந்துகின்றனர். எனவே நாய்களால் குடிப்பவர்களுக்கு தொற்று நோய் பரவும் அபாயம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. மேலும் பேக்கிங் குடிநீரை தவிர பார்களில் வழங்கப்படும் குடிநீரில் புழுக்கள் மிதக்கின்றன. சம்பந்தப்பட்ட சுகாதார அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என குடிமகன்கள் புகார் தெரிவிக்கின்றனர்.

தர்மபுரி மாவட்ட உணவு கட்டுப்பாட்டு துறை அதிகாரிகள், அரசு டாஸ்மாக் பார் என்பதால் சுகாதாரத்தில் அலட்சியம் காட்டுகின்றனர். அனைத்து பார்களிலும் பாதுகாக்கப்பட்ட குடிநீர், பேக்கிங் உணவு வகைகளை மட்டுமே பரிமாற அனுமதிக்க வேண்டும். பார் உரிமையாளர்களிடம் சுகாதாரத்தை கடைபிடிக்க உத்தரவிட வேண்டும் என கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.

Food Engineering and Technology – concerns and issues

Food Technology should be given a separate status

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has declared the food processing sector in the state as a Thrust Area. Since the agriculture and the minor produce of the forests is the backbone of our state’s economy, the food processing sector is now growing fast in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Though there has been an extensive research and developmental work in agriculture science in the country, more attention should be given for food security, preservation, hygiene, safety and its standards in the field of post-harvest/post agriculture technology. The fact remains that traditional knowledge adopted by the agriculture sector could not meet the standards.
In the light of present scenario of global trend for food safety and standards, seven years ago the Islamic University of Science and Technology in the state of Jammu and Kashmir initiated a move in this regard and established the Department for pursuing four year B. Tech Degree course in Food Technology in its early inception. It was first of its kind in the state, especially in the valley. This initiative brought in the attitude of professionalism and the desire of independence among the youth of the valley. The broader and modern concept of technical expertise in the field of Food Technology provided by the university encouraged the aspirant students of (B. Tech) degree courses for professionalism. Many graduate students are now pursuing M. Tech and Ph.D. in different institutions outside the state of J&K. Skilled manpower generated in the field of this particular and pivotal, prospective entrepreneurial and developmental sector has narrowed the gap of scarcity in the Technical, Educational and Industrial sector of the state of J&K.
Food engineering & Technology is a multidisciplinary field of applied physical sciences which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education for food and related industries. It also provides engineering service assistance to other departments and industries through pilot plant, workshop and design sections. It is the application of agricultural engineering, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering principles to food materials. The process engineering research incorporates traditional engineering methodology as it relates to complex food systems. The overall goal is to understand and develop new processes that directly improve the state-of-the-art in food structuring. Food engineers and Technologists provide the technological knowledge transfer essential to the cost-effective production and commercialization of food products and services.
Food engineering & Technology encompasses a very wide field of activities. In support of this engineering approach, materials science, a sub-group can be established to characterize material and flow properties of food components. Both traditional measurements and several innovative techniques are employed for investigating the structure on multiple length and time scales. The main focus of this research involves the investigation of idealized systems with interesting rheological or micro structuring behavior that are models for complex food systems. Prospective major employers for food engineers and technologists include companies involved in food processing, food machinery, packaging, ingredient manufacturing, instrumentation, and control. Firms that design and build food processing plants, consulting firms, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and health-care firms also hire food engineers & technologists.
Facts must reach the common masses in our state as well as the intellectuals and literate people that FT (B. Tech in FT) is a branch of engineering just like civil, mechanical, electrical etc., as it satisfies the AICTE (All India Council For Technical Education) norms and should be treated as such and not mingled with agriculture sciences or home sciences. M. Tech (Food Engineering and Technology/M.Tech Food Technology) is a separate entity and as per the norms of the UGC and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and has no relevance with M.Sc. courses offered for food technology, and as such is exempted for ambit of NET/SET.
Food Technology should be given the separate status, i.e., it should not be mingled with the Agriculture Science and Home Science, because when we look at the basics, Food Technology commences from the point where Agriculture Science ends and Home Science commence from the point where food technology ends. The only similarity is that all of these deals with the “FOOD” but the entire mode of operation, technology, and concept is altogether different.
As per AICTE norms M.Sc. Food technology and B. Tech Food Technology are given the equal credits and under UGC norms M. Tech Food Technology is NET exempted. These eligibility issues must be considered while recruiting, screening or posting the candidates and even while admitting candidates for PhD programs.  In case of M. Tech Food Technology, candidates after qualifying B. Tech can opt for M. Tech. A distinguishing criterion should be set up for the betterment of system.
 PROSPECTS:
In order to streamline the system of public distribution and to improve the safety of food supply and maintain the standards of food consumption in the broader interest of public health, Food Research Laboratories (FRL) should be established in the state for analysis of the food products of different sectors of the government institutions, industries, traders and public in general. These laboratories should exclusively be controlled under the proper guidance of the food technology experts only. The concept of the Food Research Lab (FRL) does not even exist in the valley. There is not a single FRL where food analysis can be done. And keeping in view the agriculture strength of the valley, it can also result in the economic upliftment of the state. Even it can become the centre for research and new product development as well as processing and the preservation of the existing produce. Moreover every year students from the Kashmir University, IUST and SKUAST go outside the valley for analysis in different FRLs and pay huge amount there. Even the valley based Food Entrepreneurs and others send most of their critical sample tests outside the state and have to pay accordingly for that. With the introduction of FRL, all these means of revenue will be preserved within the valley and the means of employment can be generated.
Suggestions:
The eligibility criteria fixed for the post of Designated Officers, Food Safety Officers, Food Inspectors and the other relevant posts should be filled under the norms of “Food Safety and Standards Act 2006” and carried under the guideline of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India already in vogue. The eligibility is so irrational that the deserved become the victim of it. Students from the field of chemistry, material sciences, petroleum science, medical sciences etc. are eligible for the posts and what adds to the misery is the limited number of seats and the time period between the advertisements of the posts. Now when we look at the portfolio of the food inspector it deals with food laws and regulations, food tests, adulteration, fortification, nutrition, health, hygiene, sanitation  etc., which is wholly and solely the subject of Food Technology and all these parameters can be addressed  much competently by food technologists.
The Government should implement the “Food Safety and Standard Act 2006” in the state of J&K in its letter and spirit so that the menace of adulteration, supply of spurious drugs and the sub-standard food is controlled for future. The Government should constitute a “Scientific Expert Committee” of the eminent persons and the experts from the concerned agencies for implementation of the policies of the government in its true spirit. In this context the service of the “Lead Auditors” certified for “Food Safety and Management Systems” under ISO 22000 may be considered for expert opinions. Within the pursuit of our Forum and with the aid of the government, our forum can produce people who can deal with maintaining safety and security of the agricultural produce. Moreover, there is a need to constitute Food Safety and Security Agency that will scrutinize the laws and regulations for the upliftment of hygiene and sanitations of the food market. We have a good number of ISO-2200 trained personnel within our forum who are trained for this cause.
The concept of Food Technology must be introduced into the Polytechnics, Industrial Training Institutes (I.T.I) as the name suggests these are the centres to facilitate the technical knowledge and experiences. Though some of the Polytechnics and I.T.Is have these concepts but they are hardly handled by Food Technologists. The techniques and processes related to the food technology must be taught and exercised by the Food Engineers and Technologists.
There must be the autonomous body of Food Engineers and Technologists which will address all these concerns and issues. Moreover, it should not be diluted with the Agriculture and Home science.  Food Technology can be economically uplifting for the state if addressed and handled properly.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food safety training for noon meal, Anganwadi staff

  

To bring in more professionalism in the process within the resources available

Tamil Nadu Food Safety Commissioner Kumar Jayanth on Tuesday ordered the Designated Officers (DOs) of Food Safety Wing to train the staff at noon meal and Anganwadi centres across the State in safe and hygienic cooking practices.

In a video-conference, he instructed the DOs of all 32 districts to provide training on handling different types of food materials, safe cooking practices and maintaining hygienic conditions, an official who participated told The Hindu on Wednesday.

The noon meal scheme at schools was a State Government project. Anganwadi centres are run by Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), a Central Government-sponsored social welfare scheme to tackle malnutrition and health problems in children and their mothers.

Apart from cooking, emphasis will also be placed on storage of different food materials. The objective was to bring in more professionalism in the process within the resources available to the staff, the official said.

The training will be conducted at the block-level, where the Block Development Officer will coordinate the effort with the DOs. Training for the first batch was likely to commence in a week’s time. The Food Safety Commissioner has written to all the district administrations seeking their cooperation.

Even though nearly three months have elapsed since the Food Safety Commissioner directed all DOs to test samples from noon meal and Anganwadi centres, no sample had been taken in Coimbatore so far, sources said.

Mr. Jayanth had issued a circular on July 19 in the wake of more than 20 children dying after taking the mid-day meal at a school in Bihar on July 16. It was found that food was contaminated as a result of the cooking oil having been placed in a container formerly used to store pesticides. While initially the process was held-up in Coimbatore due to the microbiologist post at the Government Food Analysis Laboratory here lying vacant, it was yet to take off even though the post was filled, a few weeks ago. The process of lifting samples and testing them was likely to be taken up after the training programme for the cooks conclude, an official said.

Coimbatore had one of the six Government food analysis laboratories in Tamil Nadu that are approved under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The others are in Chennai, Salem, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Madurai.

Food business operators pay Rs 17 lakh fine

PUNE: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials have recovered Rs 17.82 lakh as penalty from food business operators for filing their annual returns late.
FDA had earlier directed licenced food business operators with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above to submit their annual returns by May 31, failing which a fine of Rs 100 a day would be levied.
For the first time, food business operators have been asked to submit annual returns of their transactions made between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013, since the new Food Safety and Standards Act came into force in August 2011.
"So far, we have collected fine to the tune of Rs 17.82 lakh from food business operators who failed to submit their annual returns in the prescribed format by May 31 this year," said Shahshikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA Pune The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the national food regulatory body, has exempted traders, restaurateurs and distributors from filing annual returns. Only food manufacturers, packers, re-packers, labellers and re-labellers come under the purview of filing the annual returns.
There are over 9,000 licensed food business operators in the city with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above. They include food manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, recyclers, processors, transporters, restaurants, hotels and catering business operators.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act and Regulations 2011 (licensing and registration), the business operators have to submit the returns in the particular format (form D-1).

FDA intensifies checks on varai flour, sweets

PUNE: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials have intensified random checks and inspection of sweet shops and grocery shops, which sell varai flour (samo rice) during Navaratra. In 2011, hundreds of people in the city and other parts of the state were hospitalized after eating preparations made from adulterated varai flour. "We have intensified our drive and have collected samples of varai sold either loose or in packaged form in the city. We are testing samples of sweets, khoya and khoya-based products sold at sweet shops in the city," said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.The FDA has also issued guidelines to mandals to prevent food adulteration and food-poisoning incidents.
Besides, food safety officials are conducting surprise visits in mandals and temples to collect samples of food items being served. "During the festive days, our officials conduct meetings with authorities of religious organizations and sensitize them about safety precautions and hygienic preparation of food that will be served to the devotees,"

Beware! The milk you buy may not be safe enough

Presence of baking soda in milk makes it neutral. This can damage the lining of intestines if used for a long time.

Neutralizers like baking soda are added to milk to make it last longer, which might turn harmful in the long run

Do you ever bother about the quality of milk you consume every day in various forms? If not, be careful. Six out of eight major brands among the milk sold in Bengaluru have been proved to be of substandard quality.

During a BBMP council meeting held on September 30, 2013, Corporator S Harish submitted an astounding report on the eight milk brands distributed in the city.

However buyers of Nandini (a product of Karnataka Milk Federation - KMF) and Thirumala toned milk needn’t worry. Reports gave a clean chit to Nandini and and Tirumala. Some parameters pf rest of the brands - Prakruthi, Vamsi, Shiva Shakthi, Arokya, Milky Way and Aamolya toned milk - did not seem to be falling within the standards recommended by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Mahalakshmipuram Councillor S Harish says that these brands come to Bangalore from the outskirts of the city or far off places like Tamil nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Helping milk last long by adding chemicals

The samples of milk analysed by Harish and team were collected from Bangalore market area. Five samples -Nandini toned milk, Prakruthi, Vamsi, Shiva Shakthi and Arokya toned milk - weighed 500 ml while three others - Tirumala, Milk Way and Aamolya - weighed 250 ml.

They were tested at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) on September 23, 2013.

After processing, that is pasteurisation, milk can survive maximum two days. Milk should be consumed within 24 hours. Since daries of most of these brands operate at far-flung places, by the time it reaches the end user, almost a day is over. To preserve the milk for a long time, various chemicals are used as preservatives.

Tests done on Vamsi, Milky way, Aamolya, Prakruthi and Shiva Shakthi show that the acidity and fat level are far below the standards recommended by FSSAI.

Acidity level can plunge to this level only through chemicals. These chemicals are used for two reasons: To make the milk look thick and to preserve it for a longer period.

To thicken the milk, gum powder, starch, sugar etc.are used, while to help the milk last longer and to ensure it doesn’t curdle while boiling, they make use of neutralisers such as baking soda, caustic soda or hydrogen peroxide.

The older the milk, higher will be the acidity. Therefore to preserve milk for a longer period of time, these companies use neutralizers.

As per the FSSAI standards, milk should have no neutralizer. However, the test revealed the presence of neutralizers in five milk samples.

Same price, less weight

The brands tested were also under-weight, when compared to Nandini brand. The standard weight and volume of toned milk is prescribed to be at 518 g for 500 ml. 3% decrease in the weight and 3.2% decrease in the volume was observed in some of the brands during the test.

Adultrated Milk Brands

Parameters	As per standard	Prakruthi	Vamsi	Shiva Shakthi	Milky Way (250 ml)	Aamolya	Arokya
Weight	518g/ 260g	501	516	515	260	249	514
Volume	500 ml/250 ml	484	498	497	251	242	496
Acidity	0.144 to 0.162	0.117	0.09	0.117	0.072	0.081	0.144
CLR	29.5	28.5	29	20	30	26.5	33.5
Fat	3.1	3	2.7	2.8	1.6	1.4	1.5
SNF	8.5	8.30	8.28	8.55	8.25	7.33	9.10
Starch test	Negative	Negative	Negative	Negative	Negative	Negative	Positive
Neutralizer	Negative	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive	Negative

CLR = Calculated lacto Rate

SNF = Solid Non Fat

Unadulterated milk brands

Parameters	As per standard	Thirumala (250 ml)	Nandini
Weight	518gl/260g	269	534
Volume	500ml/ 250ml	260	516
Acidity	0.144 to 0.162	0.144	0.177
CLR	29.5	30	28.5
Fat	3.1	1.6	3
SNF	8.5	8.25	8.30
Starch test	Negative	Negative	Negative
Neutralizer	Negative	Negative	Negative

Only long term effect

Gastric problems are one of the common problems caused due to consumption of adulterated milk. These chemicals harm the tender inner line of the intestine. This injures the digestive system.

There are no immediate effects of consuming adulterated milk but it takes its own time. Indian Council of Medical Research reported that long term use of  adulterated milk can also cause kidney failure or heart problems. or even death.

Patients suffering from blood pressure should avoid sodium. Consumption of milk with neutraliser may have an adverse effect on such patients.  

Bangalore-based nutritionist Sheela Krishnaswamy believes that cardiac issues from adulteration is unlikely. However “Milk adulteration can have an effect on the stomach or cause food poisoning, she says,” she says.

Milk is supposed to be slightly acidic, “if a neutraliser is added in the form of an alkali, this can cause damage to the tissues.  Sodium can increase the risk of high blood pressure.  If baking soda is used as an adulterant, over a period of time it can reduce the absorption of calcium,” says Sheela.

Veterinarian  G N S Reddy is the founder of the first dairy to produce organic milk involving farmers in the State, Akshayakalpa. He believes that adulterations can take place at any point of production. It may occur at the root level i.e farmers, intermediate level i.e. milk collection centres or final, processing centers.

He says, “There are no methods at present with these agencies to control quality of milk at the point of production.” Sometimes absence of refrigerators to transport milk to distant places force sellers to add chemicals to milk.

He believes that the samples should also be tested for bacteria, as high incidence of harmful bacteria like coliforms can be of great public health importance.

What after the report?

The reports were submitted to Mayor B S Satyanarayana and BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayan.

Lakshminarayan had taken a note of this and said, “I will write a letter to Food and Civil Supplies Department and ask Health Inspectors to form a report on this.”

When contacted, Bommanahalli BBMP Health Officer Dr. Suresh claimed to have not received any complaints against these brands, and therefore did not take any action against them.

Beware! Your milk can be contaminated

Beware! Your milk can be contaminated

Mumbai: If you’re a stickler for dietary discipline and insist on that warm glass of milk every morning, here’s news that could make you look at the glass half empty. Prolonged investigations conducted by MiD-DAY have revealed that a banned drug called oxytocin is being administered to buffalos in many tabelas across Mumbai. Oxytocin, while it helps cattle produce more milk, has severely harmful effects on not just the health of the animals it is injected into, but humans who consume milk that comes from them.
Doctors have confirmed that the drug decreases the reproductive ability of cows over time, eventually making them barren. It also reduces the lifespan of cattle. Studies have linked the consumption of milk contaminated with oxytocin to the early onset of puberty in children, which is on an alarming rise these days. Despite a ban on artificially injecting the hormone into cattle, this drug is being supplied secretly to different tabelas, as we discovered in the course of our two-month-long investigations.

Dr V L Deopurkar, director of research, Veterinary University, Nagpur explained, “Oxytocin or Pitocin is an injection used on pregnant women to induce labour. Commercial tabelas are using oxytocin injections almost twice a day on cattle. Upon injecting the drug, the milk, which is otherwise stored in the udder of the cattle for its calves, is also released, giving a few additional litres of milk.”

However, the action of the hormone causes the uterus of the cattle to contract, causing immense pain. Extracting the milk in this manner also deprives the calves of nutrition. Maternal antibodies present in the milk are responsible for making the calves immune to several diseases. Being denied the milk weakens their chances of survival.
Section 12 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Food and Consumable Substances Adulteration Act and the Drug Control Laws ban the sale of the drug without a prescription from a registered medical practititioner. A chemist selling it over the counter without a prescription can lose his licence. Shopkeepers caught selling the hormone and dairy owners using it on cattle can be imprisoned for upto 5 years. But these laws exist only on paper. Dairies, are using the drug with impunity, and without prescriptions, having obtained it from private suppliers.

Speaking to MiD DAY, FDA Joint Commissioner (Vigilance) Sanjay Kale said, “It is true that the Government of India has acknowledged the negative effects of oxytocin and has declared it as a schedule substance, which means this drug can only be supplied against prescription from a registered medical practitioner.
Illegal stocking and sale of oxytocin is banned and can also lead to penal actions against those offenders as per the provisions laid under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act of 1940.” Asked if any action would be taken against tabela workers violating the law every day, he answered in the affirmative, pointing out that the matter of cruelty to animals would have to be dealt with by the Animal Husbandry department.
Speaking on the matter, Maneka Gandhi, the champion of animal rights in the country, said, “The Drug Controller General of India has recently sent a letter to every state drug controller saying that before any animal gives meat or milk or egg it should be completely free of hormones or antibiotics. If the practice of administering injections twice every day continues, the drug stays in the milk and the meat, and causes serious ailments like breast cancer and prostate cancer, also impotency in men. Cattle become barren within three years of continuous ministration of the drug. Since the 1990s, I have been raising the issue and asking the government to take strict action, but my pleas have gone unheard.”
STAGE I:

Stop 1
Malpadongri, near WEH, Andheri (East)
Our first stop was a tabela adjacent to the south-bound carriageway of the Western Express Highway in Andheri (East), in Malpadongri. Approaching an elderly man stationed there, we narrated a fabricated tale about a buffalo in our native village that was producing sparse milk as its calf had died soon after its birth. We requested for a medicine that could help the buffalo give more milk.To make our story more credible, we said that the drug they’d give us would be dispatched through a relative who was leaving for our native place that very evening. Thoroughly convinced, the man instructed his son to give us a bottle of ‘medicine’, without taking its name. Soon, the man returned from a small shanty holding a sealed plastic bottle, without a label or brand name pasted on it. The bottle was sealed. He instructed us that a single dose of 5 ml was sufficient at a time, and that the drug in the bottle contained 20 doses. We paid a mere Rs 30 for the bottle.Stop 2
Gundawali, near WEH, Andheri (East)
Here, we retold the concocted tale to the men. The seniormost among them told us that they have stopped using the medicine as the government has banned it. When we insisted, he pointed towards a man in his late 20s, identifying him as the delivery boy for the drug to tabelas across the western suburbs. The youth immediately gave us a bottle of the drug, and also his phone number for future deliveries. We were asked to pay Rs 20. The bottle was identical to the one we were given in Malpadongri.
Tryst with the supplier
Doctors speak
Dr Parminder Singh, Endocrinologist, Ludhiana
In the 1990s, menarche occurred among girls at age 16. This age has come down drastically, and nowadays anxious parents come to us when their daughters show signs of premature puberty at age 9 or 10. Cases of male children being diagnosed with gynaecomastia (breast enlargement) are on the rise. This is due to hormonal imbalances created by exogenous source of hormones like oxytocin in milk and dairy products. The Health Ministry and Drug Controller General of India should carry out rigorous checks to curb the misuse of hormones on cattle. Laboratories should be established to check the level of hormones and insecticides in food and dairy products.


Dr Shashank Joshi, endocrinologist, Lilavati Hospital
Oxytocin or growth hormones can lead to disruption of the endocrine system, which would lead to cases of gynaecomastia in male and weight gain and pubertal disturbance in girls.Dr Usha Sriram, Chennai-based endocrinologist
Parents these days understand the problems faced by their children and seek timely medical intervention, which helps to curtail the problem, which can cause physical and psychological unrest.
Effects of OxytocinOn cattle

• Causes the cattle’s uterus to contract, leading to excruciating pain when they are milked
• Reduces reproductive ability of cows, making them barren
• Cuts short their lifespan
• Releases the milk stored for calves, depriving them of nutrition 
• On humans
• Hormonal imbalances
• Early puberty in girls, weight gain
• Gynaecomastia, or development of breasts, in male children

The moment of truth: Lab reports
Stop3
Dairy near Aarey Milk Colony Unit II We had been told that the drug was used commonly in tabelas under the purview of Aarey Milk Colony. We found no evidence of this till we reached Unit 2 of the Colony. Here, a certain Chulbul was convinced by our story and agreed to give us a small quantity of the drug. He took us along to a storeroom in the premises, removed a bottle from the small cupboard. With the help of a syringe, he removed 25-30 ml of the drug from the bottle, poured into another bottle and handed it to us in exchange for Rs 30. He also helpfully explained to us how we were to inject it into the neck of our buffalo.Stop 4

Sanjay Nagar Pathan Wadi, Malad (East)
The clandestine manner in which this drug is circulated around tabelas became clear to us at this stop. One of the workers, who was ready to hand us a bottle, was stopped by another employee, who warned against giving the drug to a stranger. We coaxed and cajoled, but were asked to leave at onceStop 5

Ghaswala Dairy, Jogeshwari (West)
Here, a worker admitted to using oxytocin, but wouldn’t provide us a bottle, saying he was running short on the stocksSTAGE II:Sample collection We returned to each of the tabelas to get milk samples that would establish if the drug was indeed being administered to the cattle.Malpadongri
The worker refused to hand over any milk, saying that it was supplied only to dairies. We churned out yet another concocted tale about desperately needing milk for a religious ceremony, and the worker acquiesced grudgingly. We managed to get a litre of milk by paying Rs 55. The fluids were stored in sterilised containers and placed in an icebox. Milk was obtained from the tabela in Gundawali in a similar manner.Aarey Milk Colony Unit 2
We faced stiff resistance at the outset. The owner refused to sell us milk directly, saying he only delivered to different Aarey centres. We followed a tempo that was transporting the morning’s collection to the tabela to the dairy. We urged the driver to give us some milk, and he obliged. Getting another sample from Sanjay Nagar Pathan Wadi was easy.Ghaswala Dairy
The owner refused to sell milk to us, telling us to go and buy it from the Ghaswala Dairy shop. We went there and purchased the milk.STAGE III:Laboratory test results
The collected samples were handed over to Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Laboratory in Sion, to be examined for the presence of oxytocin. Dr Sasikumar Menon, assistant director at the lab, and senior analyst Shreenath Nair tested the samples. They detected oxytocin in the bottles we had collected from different tabelas, as well as in the milk we had purchased from each of them.
Courtesy: MID DAY