LAHORE: What is milk adulteration, who do we call milk adulteration mafia? Questions which are loud enough in the air but there answers aren’t clear. So basically adulterants like soap, acid, starch, table sugar and chemicals like formalin may be added to the milk. Most of the chemicals used as adulterants are poisonous and cause health hazards and we call adulteration mafia to those who does such hideous acts of involving material which is unacceptable and can cause diseases to every age of the person.
In the very start of this year Punjab Food Authority did a crackdown against milk adulteration mafia and around 28,857 litres of impure milk was disposed of across province. The question arises; why are we not getting pure milk and how will we get it? The answer lies in the process of Pasteurization and its effective measurements in the coming future. PFA has been working on it since the law passed in 2017 and in the coming years they hope to end adulterants being added to Milk to exploit the process of pasteurization as well. Milk adulteration is a severe issue which is highlighted at the particular time and in Pakistan it is becoming a constraint for improving our business as well. Milk is not only a necessity for
The nutrients of milk are required for the proper functioning, growth, and development of the human body. The extensive consumption of milk and dairy products in Pakistan makes these food stuffs targets for potential adulteration with financial gains for unscrupulous producers. Unfortunately, due to the unorganized and non-regulated marketing system in Pakistan, the quality of milk is hardly maintained at consumer level. The milk available to local populations is heavily adulterated with a variety of chemicals including heavy metals. Microbial populations in raw milk are usually also beyond acceptable levels. The current milk safety situation in Pakistan is a pressing challenge and will continue to have serious implications for the nation’s economic infrastructure if corrective measures are not taken in a timely manner.
The power of pasteurization is highly recommended by different organizations worldwide and its process of heating milk to destroy potentially harmful pathogens is tested on international levels. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends avoiding raw milk because it can cause food poisoning but it also states to preheat loose milk before drinking it, only if it does not include any adulterants. Many international platforms have discussed the seriousness of milk adulteration and have suggested many ways to produce pure milk from the very basic start. It is a high need for people to know the significance of what they are consuming in the name of milk.
Pakistan has become one of the most advanced countries and has so much to offer but we lack one major thing which is providing pure milk to our people. Millions of rupees are given to foreign countries for the import of milk and dairy products as we lack the very basic necessity of pure milk in our country. But if we play smartly and stop the adulteration mafia and the process of pasteurized milk comes in the league it should be highly appreciated and as it is the need at the moment or else in the coming future we might also be derived from milk as well as the concern of water is well highlighted.
According to the directions given by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Punjab Food Authority has crackdown, sealed and fined hundreds of milk adulteration mafia; many such included big branded names who are taking people’s hard earned money and in return getting a poisonous drink for not only them but also for their family. Children’s and infants who require pure milk the most have trouble growing due to the nonproductive and adulterated milk. As much as the milk is necessary for children and infants it is very much required for people of other age groups as well. The necessity to drink pasteurized milk is the basic right of any individual alive on this planet and it is the duty of government and the concerned authorities who work against adulteration mafia in this case milk adulteration and such as Punjab Food Authority.
Written by Marina Pervaiz
