Kathmandu — An investigation conducted by Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) has found that milk sold in market adulterated with washing soda and detergent chemicals.
The department had collected the samples of 42 packets of 25 milk processing industries. A team headed by Agriculture Minister Chakrapani Khanal monitored the dairy industries in Kathmandu Valley and collected milk samples for testing. The samples were found contaminated with coliform bacteria.
Spokesperson at Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DoFTQC) Purna Chandra Wosti informed that the Food Act is being amended to punish the dairy industries, producers, and traders involved in supplying adulterated and contaminated milk.
“Any of these three harmful chemicals might have been mixed in the milk,” said DFTQC spokesperson Purna Chandra Wosti.
After the complaints from general public, department had raided 4 dairies following complaints that harmful chemicals were being used in packaged milk.
Coliform is a group of over a dozen bacteria. They are found in open water sources and excreta of hot-blooded animals including humans. Coliform does not affect man seriously but the growth in its number will increase the health risk. There are three kinds of coliform—total, fecal and e-coli.
Total indicates dirt contaminated in water while fecal indicates contamination of excreta in water. E-coli cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, headache and muscle cramming in humans.
Industries are using chemicals like caustic soda to prevent the milk from curdling.”
