Milk adulteration rampant in Maharashtra

Most Indians are resigned to drinking milk diluted with water but going by the current trend the nutritious value of the beverage has been ruined by its deliberate contamination with animal fat and urea.

Awakening to the gravity of the situation, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Trivedi stressed to the need for a strong policy framework to bust the massive milk adulteration racket in the nation.

"This problem (of adulteration of food items) is a cancer. We also buy food items... I will be happy if a full-day discussion is held," Trivedi said in the Lok Sabha.

Status of milk and beverage adulteration in some states
A debate in the Lok Sabha on rampant adulteration of food and other edible substances in the country found that the percentage of tainted milk and milk products sold were highest in Maharashtra followed closely by Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab.

According to the latest data available, out of the 281 samples of beverages and 1,063 samples of milk collected by the health regulators in Maharashtra, 23 percent of beverages and 15 percent of the milk were adulterated.

In Andhra Pradesh nearly 227 samples of beverages were picked up for testing and 20 percent were found to be tainted. In the 156 samples of milk lifted for testing 17 percent were contaminated.

In Gujarat 121 samples were taken for testing of which 24 percent were adulterated whereas in Punjab out of 170 samples of beverages 35 percent were not fit for consumption.

In addition, out of the 619 samples of milk lifted in Punjab 34 percent were found unfit.

Decline in number of cases recorded
What is cause for concern is that since 2006, the nation has witnessed a steady decline in the number of cases registered and also convictions against those selling adulterated food products.

In 2006, the cases registered were 7,695 of which 1,284 convictions occurred.

3,902 adulteration cases were registered in the year 2007 and there were 2,472 convictions while in 2008 only 3,250 cases were registered with just 549 prosecutions.

Trivedi stated, “According to available information provided by the states and union territory governments, the percentage of adulteration in food articles from 8.44 percent of the samples collected in 2006 came down to 7.73 percent in 2008.”

Incidentally, the sale of spurious and tainted food items is banned under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and violators are liable to undergo life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 5,000 if the act leads to fatal consequences.