A Study on Status of Milk Adulterants using in Milk of District Varanasi

Fifty milk samples were collected from Godaulia and Pandeypur milk mandi of Varanasi district. A standard milk adulteration kit manufactured by HIMEDIA laboratories, Mumbai (India) was used for present study. The milk samples were tested for adulterants used and these were grouped in three classes i.e. Group I: Starch, Sucrose, Glucose and Skim Milk Powder, Group II: Acidity/Alkalinity, Neutralizers, Sodium Chloride and Urea; Group III: Formalin, Hydrogen Peroxide and Detergents. Under group first, all the samples tested were found negative for glucose, while 20% samples were positive for starch. In second group, 80% of the samples tested were found positive for Acidity/Alkalinity. In these samples the extent of adulteration with neutralizers, sodium chloride and urea were 28%, 80% and 60%, respectively. In third group, 30% of milk samples were positive for formalin and 36% for hydrogen peroxide. Similarly, 44% of milk samples were positive for detergents. Peroxide and formalin were generally used to enhance shelf life of milk. Detergents found may be due to low maintenance of milk tanks. The results of this investigation are concluding that milk marketed for public consumption is produced and handled under neglected sanitary measures. The relaxing milk control measures may give chance to greedy retailers and producers to adulterate produced milk to increase their gain.