Two well-known companies in India have announced a rise in milk prices, effective from 12 November. Anandabazar notes that when people pay more for milk, the question of how pure it is matters too. The report does not name the two companies or give the new prices.
India's food safety and standards regulator, FSSAI, has said that milk and milk products may be adulterated with water, starch, detergent, urea, artificial ingredients or preservatives such as formalin. A few simple tests at home can show whether milk contains water, detergent or starch.
Water: put a drop of milk on a clean, smooth, slightly sloping surface. Pure milk runs down slowly and leaves a white trail. Milk with a lot of added water runs off quickly and leaves little or no white mark.
Detergent: shake equal parts milk and water in a bottle. If a lot of thick foam forms and lasts a long time, detergent has probably been added; pure milk usually forms a thinner layer of froth.
Starch: starch is sometimes added to thicken milk. Boil a little milk, let it cool and add a few drops of iodine; if it turns blue, starch is likely present. And taste and smell: if milk tastes bitter, smells odd or shows anything else unusual, it is better not to drink it.
The report also advises checking the expiry date, seal and storage instructions on the packet when buying, and not buying a packet that is swollen, leaking or of doubtful storage. The report is from Anandabazar.com.
Photo: Janine Chedid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Anandabazar
Comments
(0)