FSSAI: Processed milk samples fail to meet quality norms

According to the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standard Authority of India), 37.7% of samples tested failed to meet the quality norms. This was mainly because, the presence of contaminants like sugar, Maltodextrin and fats were above permissible limits. The study noted that processed milk including that of major brands failed to meet the prescribed quality norms. Around 10.4% of the samples were non-compliant.

Highlights of the study

• Milk samples from Telangana followed by Madhya Pradesh and Kerala accounted for the highest number of cases of adulteration
• Around 6,432 samples were collected from 1,103 towns and cities. The collection process was done between May 2018 and October 2018. Of the collected samples, 40.5% of the samples were processed milk and the rest were raw milk.
• The problem of Aflatoxin-M1 is more dominant in processed milk than that of raw milk. Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Kerala were the top states where the residue was found maximum. Aflatoxin-M1 present in milk comes from feed and fodder. It is currently not regulated in the country. A detailed survey of the presence of the residue is being done for the first time in the country. There are no labs in the country to test the residue.

India is the largest producer of milk. The annual milk production of the country is 176.35 million tons (according to 2017-18 data).

A new scheme of “Testing and Inspection” was launched, which the diary units have to comply with by January 1, 2020.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2019