‘Ban hazardous milk products from north India’

The Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association on Wednesday demanded the state government to stop the sale of milk and dairy products of companies from other states.

Chennai: 

Citing the dangers posed by the products of companies from other states, especially northern India, the representatives of the milk dealers association submitted a petition to the State government demanding to ban their sale in Tamil Nadu. “The dairy products contain high amount of hydrogen peroxide, urea and formalin will pose severe threat to the health of the consumers,” Ponnusamy, president, Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association, told DT Next. 

Officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had recently raided a few milk plants in Punjab, where they found loads of adulterated milk and dairy products. he said that a majority of the dairy units in north India sell only adulterated dairy products.

“In 2012, a PIL was filed against adulterated milk and the Central government, after inspection, agreed that more than 75 per cent of the milk and dairy products were adulterated in 15 north Indian states. Among them, dairy products in six states were found to be 100 per cent adulterated,” claimed Ponnusamy. 

Though the Central government knew that only adulterated dairy products was manufactured in these states, it failed to initiate any serious action. “The state government should conduct frequent inspections in markets and also in milk societies to prevent the sale of adulterated dairy products”, insisted the president of the association.

He further said that though the state government had formed a team with the chief secretary as its head to check the adulteration of dairy products, the panel, so far, has not inspected any of these dairy farms, alleged Ponnusamy. “Rather than officials, an expert team should be formed to check adulteration,” he suggested. 

It may be recalled that some months ago, State Dairy Development Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji also charged that two private milk companies were selling adulterated milk in the state.