60% milk food samples seized in Punjab raids fail quality test

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19

A whopping 60 per cent of milk and milk product (MMP) samples, including paneer (cottage cheese) and ghee, seized during raids across Punjab in the past 10 days have been found unfit for human consumption — 434 of the total 724 samples having failed the quality test. 

Alarmed, Health and Family Minister Brahm Mohindra has asked the District Health Officers and Assistant Food Commissioners to take stern action against those violating the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

 Tested at the government laboratory in Kharar, 20 per cent of the food samples seized have been found to contain spurious or adulterated milk, revealing the dark side of the “white trade” flourishing in a state that leads in per capita milk availability — 1,035 ml of milk per person per day. 

According to the Animal Husbandry Department, there are 52 lakh buffaloes and 21 lakh cows in Punjab  of which 70 per cent yield milk. The daily milk production is 360 lakh litres. Despite abundant milk, a sizeable number of units are manufacturing spurious milk and milk products. “While low-grade paneer is sold at Rs 170 per kg, poor quality ‘khoya’ is making its way from other states,” a senior officer said. 

Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, and Director of Tandrust Punjab Mission, Kahan Singh Pannu, said the authorities needed to be much more vigilant.

DARK SIDE OF THE TRADE

• 434 of the total 724 samples tested by Kharar lab fail the quality test
• 20% of the seized food samples found to contain spurious milk
• This despite Punjab leading other states in per capita milk availability 
• With 52 lakh buffaloes and 21 lakh cows, state produces 360 lakh litres milk per day