FDA starts special drive to curb milk adulteration in Pune

Over 200 dairies in the Pune district will be inspected as part of a zero-tolerance initiative that will involve stringent scrutiny of all dairies in the district

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday launched a two-week-long special drive to curb milk adulteration in Pune district. Over 200 dairies in the Pune district will be inspected as part of a zero-tolerance initiative that will involve stringent scrutiny of all dairies in the district, said officials.

Suresh Annapure, FDA joint commissioner, Pune region informed that the drive has started and samples from 10 dairies were taken on Saturday. “The samples have been sent to the government laboratory for analysis. Further action will be taken after the reports are received. The milk and milk products are checked for adulteration which is prohibited as per the Food and Safety Act 2006,” he said.

As per officials, Maharashtra has an acute problem of milk adulteration. Urea, sugar and cooking soda are among the common substances used to adulterate milk while instances of the addition of water in milk bags are also common. During the campaign, the entire milk chain, from production, collection and chilling centres to diaries and retailers, will be under FDA scanner.

A senior FDA official requesting anonymity said, “The staff from the dairy development department are also part of the drive and it is helpful considering the shortage of staff in the FDA. During the campaign, the team will conduct spot checks to prevent adulteration of milk and milk products. In severe cases stern action such as filling first information report (FIR) against persons or establishments involved in adulteration of milk and milk products will be taken.”

Annapure further informed that Pune division which includes- Pune, Solapur, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur districts has 800 dairies. Pune district has 200 dairies. “The staff crunch is a major challenge for us as we have to manage with a meagre workforce to conduct the special drive and routine inspections. However, we aim at inspecting the suspicious dairies initially and later cover the remaining dairies,” he added.