Milk: Almost half of November samples adulterated
171 of the 382 milk samples collected in November were adulterated.
LAHORE:
Almost half of the milk samples collected by the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) during November were found adulterated.
According to the Monthly Analysis Report of the Food Department of the CDGL, 171 of the 382 milk samples collected in November were adulterated. A total of 65 samples of milk products were taken. Of these, 22 were adulterated.
The percentage of milk and milk products samples found adulterated has increased by more than 50 per cent over three months. About 44.7 per cent of the samples of milk and milk products collected in November were found adulterated. In comparison, 42.1 per cent of the samples collected in October and 27. 5 per cent in September had adulterants. Most of these samples, district officer Dr Masood Ashraf said, had been diluted with water.
Muhammed Shahid, a public analyst at the district food laboratory, said that the only effective way to check adulteration of food items was to educate people about their harmful effects. He said the CDGL needed to increase the number of food inspectors, adding that currently there was one inspector for every union council.
He said that since a crackdown was launched against substandard food items two years ago, the level of adulteration in most food stuff as reflected in collected samples had fallen in between 20 and 30 per cent.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2010.
Almost half of the milk samples collected by the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) during November were found adulterated.
According to the Monthly Analysis Report of the Food Department of the CDGL, 171 of the 382 milk samples collected in November were adulterated. A total of 65 samples of milk products were taken. Of these, 22 were adulterated.
The percentage of milk and milk products samples found adulterated has increased by more than 50 per cent over three months. About 44.7 per cent of the samples of milk and milk products collected in November were found adulterated. In comparison, 42.1 per cent of the samples collected in October and 27. 5 per cent in September had adulterants. Most of these samples, district officer Dr Masood Ashraf said, had been diluted with water.
Muhammed Shahid, a public analyst at the district food laboratory, said that the only effective way to check adulteration of food items was to educate people about their harmful effects. He said the CDGL needed to increase the number of food inspectors, adding that currently there was one inspector for every union council.
He said that since a crackdown was launched against substandard food items two years ago, the level of adulteration in most food stuff as reflected in collected samples had fallen in between 20 and 30 per cent.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2010.