All 450 milk product samples found fit

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 20

First the identification of 250 offenders across the state erring in milk adulteration and now, the serious claim by the police that the Health Department functionaries have been working in tandem with milk adulteration offenders in Patiala have stepped up pressure on health teams across the state ahead of the upcoming festive season.

Interestingly, none of the milk samples in the city have been found unfit for human consumption ever since the Tandarust Punjab mission was launched in the district.

Though the Patiala revelations point towards a large-scale adulteration across the state, the Health Department in Jalandhar maintains that none of the samples so far have been found unfit, which means no chemical agent, urea or any artificial stimulant harmful for health were found in them.

Roughly 450 milk and milk product samples were taken in the district this year. Only 56 samples failed the quality test during the year so far and these were only substandard (i.e. lacking in fat content).

Of the 115 samples taken from the district from January till June, as many as 41 have been found substandard.

Meanwhile, as many as 15 samples of milk and milk products have failed (declared substandard), ever since the Tandarust Punjab Mission started in the district. While 46 samples were taken in June and July, of these about 15 samples were found to be substandard.

Barring these, of the 500 samples taken by the mobile van in the city for testing, 289 were milk/milk products samples of which also none of these were found unfit for human consumption.

Sources in the Health Department said a milk truck was intercepted in Hoshiarpur on suspicion and sent to Jalandhar on Sunday. Information regarding the same was given to the local Health Department. However, the offender failed to turn up in Jalandhar. The vehicle was coming from Gurdaspur.

DHO Balwinder Singh said: “We are carrying out regular sampling of milk and milk products which will only intensify in the days to come. We will only declare samples unfit for human consumption if they actually are. So far, all failed milk/milk product samples in the district have been found lacking in fat content. But none of these had any chemical or spurious ingredients. We have also checked milk of popular brands such as Amul and Verka during the drives.”

The figures

Roughly 450 milk and milk product samples were taken in the district this year. Only 56 samples have failed the quality test so far and these were only substandard (i.e. lacking in fat content). Of the 115 samples taken from the district from January till June, 41 samples have been found substandard. Meanwhile, 15 samples have failed (declared substandard), ever since the Tandarust Punjab Mission started. As many as 46 samples were taken in June and July. Of these about 15 were substandard.