Many people in India consume milk on a daily basis- drinking it straight, adding it to their tea, coffee and sweets and using it to make cheese, ghee, etc. Milk is consumed by children as well as the elderly. The milk we drink should be pure and unadulterated. However, if the milk you are buying is not handled and packaged with proper hygiene and cleanliness, many potentially harmful substances like detergents, urea, starch, glucose, etc. may be added to it.
Water is one of the most common adulterants in milk.
Water reduces the nutritional value of milk and if the water is contaminated, it also poses health risks to consumers. A 2022 study published in the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences explained that “adding water to milk reduces the solid content and reduces the frothy appearance of milk. Therefore, using detergents makes the milk appear frothy. Also, adding other adulterants like urea and hair removal powder to milk turns the milk white. A touch of urea is enough to enhance the visual sense of milk.”
Recently, the official Instagram account of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shared a simple test to check if your milk is adulterated with water. The caption of the video read, “Is your milk adulterated with water? Here’s how you can check it through a simple test. Eat safe… Eat right.”
Also read: Are your favorite foods making your brain unhappy? Science says yes! 10 delicious dishes you should give up right now
How to check the purity of your milk as per FSSAI guidelines:
Take a clean glass slide or plate. Slowly pour 1-2 ml of the milk sample on the glass plate or slide. If the drop is flowing slowly and leaving a white mark, it means the milk is pure. But if the drop is flowing fast without any mark, it means the milk has been adulterated with water.
View this post on Instagram
Detection of Urea adulteration in milk:
In another video on YouTube, FSSAI has explained how to detect urea adulteration in your milk. Consumption of urea can be harmful to the kidneys and gastrointestinal system. This video shared by FSSAI explains how you can find out if your milk is adulterated with urea:
- Take one spoon of milk in a test tube.
- Add half a teaspoon of soybean or arhar dal powder in the test tube.
- Mix the contents well by shaking the test tube. Wait for five minutes.
- Dip the red litmus paper in the mixture. Wait for half a minute and then remove the red litmus paper.
Also read: Should you eat anything before a workout? Ayurvedic expert reveals some best pre-workout habits
Red litmus paper dipped in pure milk does not change colour. Red litmus paper dipped in adulterated milk turns blue.
Follow these steps to check the purity of milk at home and make sure you buy milk from reliable and authentic sources to avoid any risk of adulteration.
#milk #safe #Food #authority #suggests #easy #test #find
