CDGL report says 41 percent milk supplied is adulterated

LAHORE – Around 41 percent milk being supplied to the provincial metropolis is reported to be adulterated, the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) Food Department Report 2010 has revealed. The CDGL Food Laboratory compiled a report from January 1 to December 31, 2010 and found 41 percent milk samples impure in comparison to other commodities being consumed by people.
The daily consumption of milk in Lahore is around 1.6 million litres out of which 0.3 million is packed while the rest 1.3 million is sold in open pots. According to a CDGL official, the report identified water as the basic adulterant added to increase volume of milk. He said that the report could not trace contamination of formalin, hydrogen peroxide, detergents, salts, quaternary ammonium compounds, cane sugar, sorbitol, carbonates, urea, boric acid, hypochlorite and starch.
A food department official said that due to milk’s dilution with water, 5.2 percent natural proportion of fat present in buffalo milk is reduced to 3.5 percent and 3.5 percent fat composition in cow milk is reduced to 1.9 percent. He said that natural solid not fats (SNF) that determine gravity (thickness) of milk naturally stand at 9.5 percent in buffalo and 8.2 percent in cow milk. Milkmen, in order to increase their profits, reduced 7 percent SNF in buffalo and 6.1 in cow milk, he added.
CDGL Laboratory Public Analyst Shahid Khan said that natural water ratio in milk is about 85 percent and 41 percent water adulteration detected through the report had established the fact that people were using just water instead of milk.
He said that people were paying a heavy price for buying milk but not getting quality in return.
Shahid said that a major problem in the fluid milk supply system was not only adulteration but also dirty adulteration. “Public consumes fluid milk which has been adulterated and diluted to an extent that there is very little nutritive value left in it leading to public health concerns and malnutrition,” he added. District Officer DO Food Dr Masoor Ashraf said that milk suppliers appeared to have found ways to increase their margin from sale of milk, dilution and extraction of valuable components. He said that vans, motorcycles, bicycles and animal carts are used to transport milk.
“Milk is being stored in dirty drums and utensils used for transportation are usually old and rusted. Due to their shape they cannot be properly cleaned. In the end, we can say that milk consumed is low in food value and does not meet hygienic conditions of the international standard,” he added. The report available with Pakistan Today disclosed that around 14,090 samples were taken to analyse adulteration ratio in daily commodities including milk, milk products, oil and fats, spices, beverage, fruit and vegetable products, cereals, sweets and bakery products, sweetening agents and cooked and uncooked items.
The report could not find adulteration in packed and powdered milk and rated them fit for human consumption. According to data disclosed in the report, around 34.71 percent samples of milk products including butter, desi ghee, khoya, ice cream, barfi and other confectionary items were found adulterated, 28.07 percent samples of oil and fats were infected, 12.52 percent samples of spices including red chilly, turmeric, dhania and garm masala were found unhygienic, 39 percent samples of beverage including bottles, coke and Pepsi, tea and coffee were traced to be adulterated, 22 percent samples of fruit and vegetable products including ketchups, pickles, jams, fruits juices vinegar were impure, 18 percent cereals including flour, starch, suji and basin were identified as sub-standard, 20.17 percent samples of sweet and baking projects including sweets, dessert and bakery items were found having low-quality, 26.54 percent samples of sweetening agents were found adulterated and 27.69 percent samples of miscellanies items including bottled water and others were found impure.
The report said that during raids conducted by the food department at all entry points and milk shops accompanied by 9 food inspectors in one year, the food laboratory received 3,795 samples of milk and found 1,562 adulterated with water, clearing 2,233 samples genuine. The laboratory obtained 749 samples of milk products, clearing 489 samples, received 1,122 samples of oil and fats and declared 807 samples fit, bagged 1,677 samples of spices and reported 1,467 as hygienic, got 2,371 samples of beverages and cleared 1,440 samples, received 800 samples of fruit and vegetable products and found 621 samples fit, got 961 samples of cereals and declared 786 samples as good, obtained 1,641 samples of sweets and baking products and found 1,310 pure, grabbed 309 samples of sweetening agents and found 227 hygienic and received 661 sample of miscellaneous items and found 478 as fit.
Shahid said that the report had been submitted to the food department to take appropriate action. He said that since the laboratory was functioning up to mark and the Pure Food Rules 2007 had been implemented, the graph of adulteration was registering a downward trend as compared to previous years. Another senior official of the food department said that spurious food colours, banned by the CDGL, were still being used in manufacturing drinks and edibles, which were dangerous for health, as they could cause hepatitis, stomach diseases, cholera, tonsillitis, dysentery, gastroenteritis, tuberculosis and typhoid, especially in children.
He said that local markets specially bus terminals, railway station and bazaars were plagued with these counterfeit and substandard products.
“They are also easily available even in main markets and departmental stores in different parts of the city,” he added. Shahid said that manufacturers and producers had set-up as many as 300 factories in various localities where fake products were packed in nearly indistinguishable packaging using sophisticated machines. “There are several factories near Baghbanpura, Sandah, Icchra, Gurjjarpura, Daroghewala, Shadbagh, Bund Road, Basin, Manawan, Choong, Northern Lahore, Kahna, the Walled City and other downtown areas where forged products of multi-national companies were being prepared,” he added.
SA Hameed, former Task Force on Essential Items and Food Stamp Scheme chairman said that Pure Food Rules 2007 had increased punishment for life-threatening adulteration to Rs 2 million in fine and imprisonment of 14 years. DO Food Ashraf said that a majority of adulterators who were arrested or fined for playing havoc with lives of people were released on bail. He said that lack of strength of food inspectors was one of the major hurdles in reducing adulteration. Ashraf said that there were only nine food inspectors for a population of nine million people.