PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has found 93 per cent of 541 samples of milk collected in different parts of the province to be adulterated, substandard, and harmful to human health.

According to a statement issued here on Saturday, the authority found only 7 per cent of milk samples safe for human consumption.

During the drive, samples were collected from 583 milk shops and dairy businesses across the province.

The official report confirmed that Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan divisions remained on top of the list with 100 per cent of sample proved as adulterated, substandard, and harmful to health , followed by Malakand division 97 per cent, Peshawar division with 94 per cent, Kohat division 88 per cent, Mardan 87 per cent and Hazara Division 84 per cent.

During the drive, 26 teams of the department each led by assistant director were formed to collect samples from large and medium-level dairy businesses.

The total samples were collected from approximately 324,000 litres of milk, of which only 7 per cent (42 samples) were found to be of satisfactory quality.

Director General Food Safety and Halal Food Authority Wasif Saeed stated that for the first time, milk samples were analyzed on a large scale using the state-of-the-art Milko Scan technology. He explained that the samples were collected in sterilized bottles with ice packs and all necessary SOPs were followed, for the testing purpose.

Mr Saeed said that a crackdown against the milk adulteration mafia had been initiated, leading to the closure of 12 milk sellers in the black and red categories in Peshawar Division and eight in Malakand.

An official of the Food Safety and Halal Food Authority told Dawn that as per standing operating procedures, added fat, glucose, sucrose, urea, ammonium sulphate, maltose, sodium benzoate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, water adulteration and others were checked in the milk.

“Sealing of milk shops and imposition of fine are still underway,” the official said. He further said that milk with 25 per cent of water were also either sealed or fined. The official said that reports of the adulterated milk were alarming.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2024