Hopefully, the court will decide to ban the use of contaminated and adulterated milk
FAISALABAD: Milk is the most balanced food. All of its contents provide benefits for growth. In most countries, dairy facilities process milk and products derived from milk, such as cream, butter, and cheese. The standard high temperature short time process in the pasteurisation method produces a 99.99 per cent reduction in the number of bacteria in milk, rendering it safe to drink for up to three weeks if continually refrigerated.
A major side effect of the heating process in pasteurisation, however, is loss of soluble calcium and phosphorus by 55 per cent, thiamin and vitamin B-12 by 10 per cent and vitamin C by 20 per cent. Because losses are small in comparison with the large amount of the two B vitamins present, milk continues to provide significant amounts of thiamin and vitamin B-12. This substandard packed milk is being sold in our markets. It is not only loose milk but also adulterated. People are being fed poison through the use of steroid injections for boosting the milk production of buffaloes. This is an alarming situation as the matter involves the lives of the public at large. Unfortunately, there is no check on food safety and the quality of edible items by our government. On September 16, the Supreme Court ordered chemical examination of all domestic and international brands of packed milk available in the market. The court directed the Agricultural University, Faisalabad, the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to conduct the analysis of all brands of packed milk within a month. Hopefully, the court will decide to ban the use of contaminated and adulterated milk and follow through with implementation.
Engr Mansoor Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2016.
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