New Delhi: Adulteration in milk is becoming life threat across the country. When milk is to provide essential nutrients, it is beautifully packaged with all substances that can cause serious health issues such as cancer, renal failure, hormone imbalance, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Several samples of milk, collected from Delhi and NCR were found positive for harmful substances such as neutralisers and skimmed milk powder (SMP) while some others had detergent, urea and ammonium sulphate.
The study conducted by Zoology Department of Maitreyi College found that packaged and unpackaged milk was equally contaminated. However, urea was present only in packaged samples. The study found that neutralisers were abundantly present in all the samples, which prevent curdling and increase the shelf life. They could be added in the form of caustic soda, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate, as per NIE.
Seventy-five milk samples collected found neutralisers, SMP, urea, detergents and ammonium sulphate.
An excessive amount of neutralizers like carbonates and bicarbonates disrupt hormonal stimulation and hence affect the growth of children. The concentration of urea in natural milk ranges from 0.2 to 0.7 g/l while adulterated milk contains 20 times its natural concentration.
In the present study, only 10 percent of samples from Gurgaon had urea and it was absent in Delhi, Faridabad and Noida samples. Ammonium sulphate is also a fertiliser used by vendors to increase the lactometer reading of milk diluted with water. It was present in Delhi samples.
Thirty percent of samples from Gurgaon and 10 percent of samples from North Delhi and Faridabad were adulterated with ammonium sulphate. The SMP was also the highest (30 percent) in samples from Gurgaon.
According to the National Dairy Development Board, demand for milk in India would be 200 MT by 2021-22.