NDRI develops DNA-based kits to detect adulteration in ghee, milk

Tribune News Service

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Karnal, February 9

In a first, scientists at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) have claimed to develop two DNA-based kits for determining adulteration in ghee and milk.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched the two kits at the NDRI auditorium here today.

While the first kit will help detect the mixing of cow and buffalo ghee and butter, the second kit will help identify the milk of cow, buffalo, sheep, goat or camel.

Giving further details, Dr AK Srivastava, Director, NDRI, said a team of scientists headed by Dr Sachinandan De, principal scientist of Animal Biotechnology Centre, NDRI, had developed the two kits.

He asserted the kits would give the results in less than eight hours and it could even detect the minor mixing of products.

Dr De said under the process, the nucleic acids were isolated from milk somatic cells, which helped determine the DNA of the animal.

Apart from the two DNA-based kits, the NDRI also released three other products - Nutrimix, Aloevera Whey Drink, and Mishti Doi.