Over 68 percent of milk in the country does not conform to standards laid down by the food regulator, said Minister of Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan.
According to FSSAI, the most common adulterants found in it are detergent, caustic soda, glucose, white paint and refined oil. All these substances are considered to be “very hazardous” which could cause serious ailments, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
During Question Hour, the minister said that a new scanner has been developed which can detect adulteration in milk in 40 seconds and can even pinpoint the adulterant.
Earlier, for every type of adulteration, a separate chemical test was required. But now a single scanner developed by CSIR-Central Electronic Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI) at Pilani in Rajasthan, can do the job, he said.
There were murmurs among members when the minister suggested that these scanners could be purchased by MPs through their constituency funds.
Though the scanners will cost around Rs 70,000 - Rs 1 lakh, the cost of testing will be as low as five to ten paise, the minister said.
Vardhan said in the near future, GPS-based technology could be used to track the exact location where the milk supplied in the cold chain has been tampered with.
The technology excels in its ability to detect known and unknown adulterants in milk and it has great potential to be used widely in dairy industries. The adoption and deployment of this technology in as many villages and milk societies as possible would be a step forward in enhancing the standards and quality of milk. Besides, it will also help in generating employment.Harsh Vardhan, Science and Technology Minister
There are two lakh villages in the country from where milk is collected from.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)
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