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Milk is the most essential food ingredient that is used by everyone in India, irrespective of the age difference. Here are the shocking data that you must know about milk that we use daily without even thinking twice. Recently our Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan revealed in Lok Sabha that that around 68% of the milk consumed in India does not conform to quality standards.
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Milk adulteration in India
According Dr. Harsh Vardhan very common milk adulterants like detergent, glucose, caustic soda, refined oil and white paint are used that could cause serious ailments. The good news is that the government has developed a scanner that can identify milk adulteration in mere 40 seconds and even pinpoint at the exact adulterant.
Your milk is adulterated when...
The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) released a document describing the various milk adulterants and ways to tackle them. According to FSSAI, milk is considered contaminated if its quality is lowered or affected by the addition of substances which are injurious to health or by removal of substances which are nutritious. It is defined as an act of intentionally debasing the quality of milk.
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Harmful effects of adulterated milk
Following are the commonly used adulterants and their harmful effects, if consumed.
Water: decreases the nutritive value of milk. Poses health risk especially to infants and children
Detergents: causes gastro - intestinal & kidney complications.
Starch: can cause diarrhoea due to the effects of undigested starch in colon. Its accumulation in the body may prove fatal for diabetic patients.
Urea: overburdens the kidneys and can even cause kidney failure
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How to spot adulterated milk at home
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Sr. No.
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Adulterant
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Method of detection
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1
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Water
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The presence of water can be detected by putting a drop of milk on a polished slanting surface. The drop of pure milk flows slowly, leaving a trail behind. Whereas the adulterated milk with water, will flow immediately leaving no marks.
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2
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Starch
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Add a few drops of tincture of iodine solution. Formation of blue colour indicates the presence of starch
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3
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Urea
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Take a teaspoon of milk in a test tube. Add ½ teaspoon of soya bean or arhar powder. Mix up the contents thoroughly by shaking the test-tube. After 5 minutes dip a red litmus paper in it. Remove the paper after ½ a minute. A change in colour from red to blue indicated the presence of urea in milk.
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4
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Detergent
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Shake 5-10ml of sample with an equal amount of water. Lather indicates the presence of detergent.
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5
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Synthetic milk
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Synthetic milk is made using white colour water paints, oils, alkali, urea, detergent, etc.
It gives a bitter after taste, and gives a soapy feeling on rubbing between the fingers and turns yellowish while heating.
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6
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Test for glucose/invert sugar
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Take a strip of diacectic strip and dip it into the milk for 30 sec. To 1 min. If the strip changes its colour then it shows that the sample contains glucose.
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Image source www.milktest.co
It is advisable to routinely check milk supply in your home using these simple tests. If you have doubt even after these test, visit the government laboratory in your city to conduct further test as there are some chemicals which can not be detected at home. Your and your family’s health is in your hands. Make sure you provide the best to your body and to your family.