Following the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) recent survey report revealing that the
milk available in the Odisha market is alarmingly adulterated and contaminated
and contains detergent, conscious consumers have demanded establishment of an
independent milk testing laboratory in the State to check the rate of
adulteration in packaged milk.
The FSSAI had conducted the survey
on milk adulteration throughout the country to check the contaminants in milk.
The report revealed that most of the packaged milk was adulterated and 75 per
cent of it contained urea, salt, caustic soda, paint, sugar, detergent,
hydrogen-peroxide, glucose, water, starch, skimmed milk powder, etc.
The report stated that packaged milk
available in the Odisha market was also alarmingly adulterated and contained
detergent and other contaminants.
But it doesn’t appear that the State
Government has taken any drastic corrective measures, as a consequence of which
adulteration in milk has now increased manifold, consumers point out.
As per reports, in some instances a
lethal chemical like formalin or formal dehyde is now mixed with the milk to
enhance its shelf life. This type of adulteration is more in the Puri
jurisdiction of the Omfed, it is alleged.
“It needs a thorough investigation
to confirm this allegation. Besides the Omfed, there are now two to three
private dairy units processing and marketing milk in the State. But to examine
any adulteration and regulating a standard in milk, there is no independent
testing laboratory. Ironically, each dairy, including the Omfed, tests its milk
in its own laboratory.
When allegations are made time and
again on rampant adulteration in packaged milk and its harmful effects on
health of children, pregnant women and aged persons, why doesn’t the Government
take it seriously and set up an independent milk testing laboratory that would
operate out of the bounds of these dairies to check contaminants in the milk
prepared by them, consumers ask.
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