Adulterated milk mixed with urea, detergent being sold in Pakistan's Sindh

Sindh Food Authority (SFA) on Friday told the Sindh High Court (SHC) that adulterated milk is being sold in the province causing adverse health effect on the people's health.

Detergent, sodium chloride and urea were found positive in the rapid tests of samples of milk being sold in different parts of the province, reported The News International.

Filing a statement before the SHC on a petition against the sale of milk at increased prices and use of chemicals in milk, the SFA Director Operations submitted that the authority had conducted several raids on milk shops operating in the city as well as other districts of the province and imposed fines on milk sellers found selling adulterated milk.

The food authority official submitted that the authority had conducted rapid tests from May 1 to May 5 of samples from 134 milk shops of the province, in which 42 samples were found positive with the presence of detergent, sodium chloride and urea.

He submitted that more than 400 inspection and raids had been conducted in the province by the authority, reported The News International.

The SFA informed the SHC that a total of Rs 145,000 fine was imposed on milk sellers for selling substandard milk and a few shops were seized due to adulteration.

Regarding the fixation of milk price, the Karachi additional commissioner submitted that the wholesale rate of milk was fixed at Rs 88.5 per litre whereas the retail price was fixed at Rs 94 per litre. He submitted that the Commissioner Office was continuously raiding shops and imposing fines in case of violations of approved rates, reported The News International.

Complaints had been filed before the food authority and the Commissioner Office against the sale of milk at higher rates but no action was taken and instead the Commissioner Office had given a free hand to the milk sellers' association to sell milk at higher rates.

A counsel for the petitioner informed the SHC that the Commissioner Office had failed to perform its lawful duty of ensuring that milk was sold at the notified price in the city. He added that the illegal sale of milk at higher rates had badly affected the lives of the general public, especially children and infants.

The high court was requested to direct the food authority and Commissioner Office to ensure that milk was sold at the notified price, and restrain the milk sellers from selling milk at higher rates.

The petitioner also requested the SHC to direct the SFA to ensure that milk available at the shops was free of chemicals so that it did not harm children and others, reported The News International.

( With inputs from ANI )