How safe is your Milk?

The Supreme Court on Friday, 9 September, adjourning hearing of a suo motu notice over sale of substandard milk, mineral water, poultry feed and use of injections for enhancing milk in animals, directed Punjab Food Authority (PFA) to take strict action against sale of substandard milk.

Punjab Food Authority (PFA) recently sealed two dried milk factories – Premier and Millac foods – over violations of the law.

As much as 80 per cent packed as well as unpacked milk is adulterated and contamination is posing serious health hazards to citizens, says data collected during five years by City District Government Food Department.

According to data 19,718 samples of milk collected by the Food Department in the last five years, almost 17,529 samples were found adulterated. This means that almost 80 per cent was adulterated or contaminated milk.

Data revealed that dairy farms, milk supplying companies and milkmen add various chemicals and unhygienic material in milk, which varies from one supplier to another.
Percentage of adulterants includes urea (30 per cent), sub-standard cooking oil (70 per cent), powdered singharas (40 per cent), unhygienic water (50 per cent), formalin, a chemical used by doctors to preserve the human body (35 per cent), penicillin for enhancing the thickness and fragrance of milk (47 per cent), hair removing powder (29 per cent), zoonotic pathogens (27 per cent) and other adulterants including soda bicarbonate (to increase the shelf life of milk), starch (to increase its viscosity), sweetening agents (to improve its taste) and urea (to lend it uniformity).

Dairy Omung and Dairy Pure are not even milk and if you take a look on their ingredients “Milk Solids/Powdered Milk” is mentioned.

Olper’s and other brands are also under fire on social networking website facebook.