Milk is the primary source of nutrition for the young ones and gives health to elders also. But lay man doesn’t know customarily that it is safe for him or not. Everybody knows that gawalas/dhodis tend to mix water in milk but not more people knows that they intentionally used to mix muddy water in milk in order to increase density and keeping milk thick. It, not only reduces the nutritional value of milk but contaminated water may also pose a health risk. Different scientific researchers did different researches about milk adulterants. Milk adulterant is essentially toxic additives mixed in milk to change the consistency.
In 2008, there was news that in China has had melamine in milk; killing thousands of kids in milk or milk products. The scandal involved milk and infant formula along with other food materials and components being adulterated with melamine. Adulterating milk is illegal act actually but there is nobody who will catch them. International Dairy Food Association (IDFA) defines that milk is approximately 87 percent water and 13 percent solids. As it comes from the cow, the solids portion of milk contains approximately 3.7 percent fat and 9 percent solids-not-fat. Milk fat carries the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. The solids-not-fat portion consists of protein (primarily casein and lactalbumin), carbohydrates (primarily lactose), and minerals (including calcium and phosphorus). Milk also contains significant amounts of riboflavin and other water soluble vitamins.
According to my research, when gawalas used to mix water in milk then its foamy appearance vanishes; so for giving milk a foamy appearance and to enhance its cosmetic nature artificially detergents are added which can cause deleterious effects to stomach and kidney. One more researcher tells that wheat flour, arrowroot and rice flour and starch are mostly added for increasing the solids not fat (SNF) content and viscosity of milk up to an accepted level of consumers. Caustic soda, sodium carbonate and bicarbonate are also frequently used to neutralize the pH and acidity of milk by the milk traders in Pakistan. For escaping the adulteration and numerous health hazards in Pakistani people; many multinational brands are functioning on pasteurizing the milk.
Pasteurization is the process, which was named after scientist Louis Pasteur, milk is heated to a high temperature (73.8°C for 15 to 20s) and then rapidly cooled so that heat stable and heat labile (sensitive) pathogens are killed; in result the shelf life of milk upsurges. Currently, bacterial spoilage is the limiting factor in extending the shelf life of conservatively pasteurized HTST processed fluid milk beyond 17 to 21 d. Common and uneducated people usually don’t know about the shelf life limitation of pasteurized milk. They used to buy Dabbay wala dudh and use them without assuring the expiry date. This causes serious health hazards. The solution is that when Multinational companies commercialize about their Khalis milk then they should also educate the lay man about expiry date. Similarly, our people should have awareness about some of the common home tests for checking the adulterated milk.
According to my research, there are a number of ways that you can use to check if milk that you are buying is fit for consumption or not.
Milk slip test – Put a drop of milk on a polished vertical surface. If it stops or flows slowly, leaving a white trail behind, it is pure milk. Milk mixed with water or other agents will flow down immediately without a trace.
Reduction test – Boil some milk on a slow heat while moving it with a spoon till it becomes solid (khoya). Take it off the heat and wait for 2-3 hours. If the produced solid is oily, the milk is of good quality; if it’s not, it means the milk is synthetic.
Detergent test – Take 5 or 10 mL of milk and mix same amount of water in it. Shake well, and foam or lather indicates the presence of detergent in it.
Synthetic milk test – Synthetic milk gives a bitter taste. It gives a ‘soapy’ feeling if it is rubbed between two fingers. Another indication is that, it turns yellowish on heating. With some experience, one can easily make out whether it is pure natural milk or a synthetic liquid sold as milk.
In addition, people can also go for testing their milk in any biochemistry laboratory in their near abouts. When our lay man will be attentive to these things, then no multinational brand or local gawalas can fooled them and their health too. Our local media and government should take steps for awaking people about expiry dates especially.
October 9, 2015
Tremendous efforts .. very beautiful and informative article.
October 9, 2015
Tremendous efforts ….. Very nice blog and basic information we need to be aware about what we are having in our daily basic nutrition.
October 9, 2015
Its a great article with lots of information with easy and simple English which can be read by anyone. Thumbs up