Food adulteration
Food safety has become a major concern in today’s world, for a lot of staples such as fruits, vegetables, dal, and milk are being sold after a number of potentially harmful substances have been added to them. Food adulteration is one of the most rampant health hazards, and certain adulterants can cause some serious problems.
Is your milk safe?
Milk is one of the most commonly adulterated foods. A number of substances like milk powder, water, and even detergent are added to milk to increase the quantity and enhance its shelf life. However, these aren’t even the most harmful things you can find in milk. Chemical contaminants like aflatoxin-M1, pesticides, and antibiotics are the real threat to health.
The FSSAI study
A comprehensive study that covered both organized and non-organized retailers was conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) from May 2018 to October 2018. It examined 6432 milk samples from 1103 cities across the country, and although it was found that 97% of the samples were safe to consume, it was also found that around 7% of the samples were hazardous due to the presence of chemicals. Out of the 456 samples that failed quality tests, only 12 were found to have been deliberately adulterated.
The main concern
41% of the samples, though safe to consume, fell short of one parameter or another. The study showed that by and large, milk is safe to consume, and the common perception of daily use milk being largely adulterated is wrong. The most grave concern is the presence of the chemical aflatoxin-M1, which according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study can cause jaundice, acute liver failure, nausea, stunting in children, and can even lead to death.
The aftermath of the study
India is the world’s largest milk producer, and it is paramount to ensure that milk, which is an irreplaceable ingredient of our diet is safe to consume. To address the issue of the presence of harmful contaminants like aflatoxin-M1, the FSSAI will be introducing a scheme for testing and sampling organized dairy. The scheme will be implemented from 1st January, 2020.